


Convergence

by FallenAquarian



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternative Universe - No Monsters, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Kid Fic, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-25
Updated: 2014-09-28
Packaged: 2018-01-06 03:18:53
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 269,666
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1101764
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FallenAquarian/pseuds/FallenAquarian
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dean's pretty content with his life. He has his family and a really awesome group of friends. He has a son he would die for in a heartbeat. What more could he possibly want? Well, that's going to change when a certain blue eyed angel comes into their lives.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Dawning

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fic. Hope you enjoy. I made Henry's speech pattern more advanced for his age on purpose, so if you are confused, there is a good reason for it.
> 
> ~I do not own Supernatural or its characters~

Dean Winchester groaned when thirty two pounds of unadulterated energy collided with his stomach.

"Daddy! Dad, wake up!" One glance at his alarm clock told him it was a little after six in the morning. Dean groaned all over again. _Why couldn't his kid pick a better time to wake him up? Like two in the afternoon--yeah, two was a good time._

"Dad, come on! It's Saturday!" Saturday. ' _Exactly why someone should stay in bed_ ,' Dean thought.

"Alright. Alright. Geesh. Your uncle Sammy wasn't this loud when he was your age." Dean looked up at his son, sitting on his stomach, and laughed at the little pout-y face he was making. "Hey, don't be like that. It's six in the morning, Henry. The neighbors probably aren't even awake yet," Dean explained. Who was he kidding? They were probably awake: Mr. And Mrs. Andrews, the elderly--and somewhat hippy--couple that lived next door, who believed that one should be up to greet the sun, which meant six every morning. ' _Greet the sun, my ass_ ,' Dean thought. The only "exception" was on weekends because " _you have to cut loose sometimes, Dean_."

"But Dad, Uncle Sammy said he needs my help with the pool," his son defended. Dean just smiled at his son. He was one proud father the day Henry started calling Sam, "Uncle Sammy." Sam, to say the least, was not thrilled. For four months following that glorious day, Sam tried everything to get him to stop--from bribes to outright begging--but eventually accepted being forever known as "Uncle Sammy."

"Henry, you don't need the whole day to help with the pool. Uncle Sammy's probably not ev-you know, what? Uncle Sammy definitely awake" he said, grinning.

"Really?" Henry said, eyes wide.

"Yeah. Why don't we call him?" said Dean, and Henry nodded his head fervently. He got off his father's stomach and moved to Dean's left side, with his back against the headboard. Dean pushed himself up and scooted up until his back was against the headboard. He reached over to his night stand and grabbed the cordless phone. He quickly dialed Sam's number, put the phone on speaker and handed it to Henry. The phone rang twice before Sam picked up.

"Dean? It's six in the morning. Is everything alright? Is it Henry?" questioned Sam. Jess, his wife, could be heard groggily parroting the same thing in the background.

"Yeah, it's Henry, Uncle Sammy. We're coming over to help with the pool," he said before Dean could say anything.

"What?" Sam said, confused while Dean burst out laughing.

"We're coming over to help with the pool. You said I could help, remember?" he said with a confused expression on his face, which caused Dean to laugh louder. "Dad said you were up and we should call you."

"Dean!" Sam exclaimed.

"What, Sammy? We're really excited about that pool," pleasantly replied Dean.

"Henry, you're going to help me clean the pool," sighed Sam. "It's not going to take that long. Why don't you and your dad come over around ten? What do ya think?"

"Are you sure? What if we can't clean it in time? What about the party?" said a panicked Henry.

Dean placed his arm around Henry's shoulders and pulled him close. "Bud, calm down. Nothing's going to happen. We'll make sure uncle Sammy has the most awesome birthday yet. Don't you think you forgot to tell uncle Sammy something?"

"I don't think so," he said, confused, but looked up wide eyes when he remembered. "HAPPY BIRTHDAY, UNCLE SAMMY!"

"Thanks, Ry. You're the first one," chuckled Sam then said a "Sorry, babe" to his wife.

"It's okay, Sam," she responded. "We all know how terribly disappointed you would be if he wasn't the first," she drawled, earning a laugh from all of them. ' _Henry sure does have us wrapped around his little finger, doesn't he?_ ' Dean thought.

"Alright. We'll see you around ten, and happy birthday, baby brother," Dean said.

"Thanks, Dean. See you then. Bye, Henry."

"Bye Uncle Sammy," came his reply and then the phone call ended.

Dean placed the phone on the charger on his night stand. He turned around to face Henry and started tickling him. "You little rascal, you."

"Dad, stop," he breathlessly laughed.

"What was that? Don't stop? Whatever you say," Dean replied and tickled him relentlessly. Henry just laughed louder. ' _Oh, they neighbors are definitely awake now_ ," Dean thought. Dean stop ticking him and moved to lie on his back with a sigh. He put his arm under his son's shoulders and pulled him, so that he was lying on his chest while they both caught their breathes. "Why don't we get some more sleep? We don't have to be up for another two hours."

"But I'm not tired," he rebutted, trying with all his might not to yawn.

"I know, but it's too early and we have nothing to do."

"Okay. Can I stay here then?" he asked.

"Sure, buddy," Dean replied. He kissed the top of his head and slowly run his hand up and down his back. Dean doubted he was going to get any sleep now that he was wide awake. Despite his protest, Henry quickly fell asleep, as Dean knew he would. He could never stay awake for long when he was snuggled up to someone. Something, to this day, Dean thinks is the most adorable thing ever-- well, maybe he's a little biased. Dean pulled him closer and gave him a quick squeeze. As far as he is concerned, everything he could ever want was right here.

~~~★~~~

"Hey, wake up," Dean said, giving his son a little shake. He gave a little whine and borrowed deeper into his father's chest. Dean chuckled and gave him another little shake. "Come on. We need to get dressed and have breakfast." Henry made a noise of protest and mumbled incoherently. "What was that, buddy?"

"F-five more...minutes," he grumbled into Dean chest causing Dean to laugh.

"You don't want to be late, do you now?" That got him to push off his father's chest and collapse on his father's side, his two small fits coming up to rub furiously at his eyes. He lowered his fits to his sides and blinked his eyes slowly. "Why don't you go brush your teeth, and get ready for a bath?" Dean instructed.

He hastily got off the bed and ran to the bathroom down the hall as fast a his little feet can take him. Dean slowly got out of bed, amd walked out of his room. He walked down the hall, and walked in the bathroom. His son was at the sink, studiously brushing his teeth with a determined look on his face. Dean smiled at him and when over to the tub. He plugged up the tub and began filling it with lukewarm water. Henry finished brushing his teeth and began taking off his clothes and got into the tub. Dean turned off the water and handed him his bodywash. Sam insisted that it was one of the best brands out there, and good for toddlers' sensitive skin. Sam was without a doubt one giant girl. Dean was pretty sure he picked it out, not Jess like he said. Dean went on to quickly brush his teeth.

"Ry, I'm going downstairs to get breakfast ready. Your clothes are already picked out. Yell if you need anything, okay?"

"'kay, Dad," he absentmindedly said.

Dean walked back towards his room to get his slippers, walked back to the staircase next to Henry's room and and then down the stairs. When he got the the bottom, he made a left turn walking past the door to the living room and walked down the small hall to the kitchen. When Dean first bought the house, it was practically falling apart. The floors were rotting, the walls had holes in them, and the stairs was non-existent. But Dean was going to be a dad, and he needed a place that his child could call home. For six months, he put every single ounce of free time he had into rebuilding this house. His parents were against his decision to use the money his Grandpa Samuel had left him to buy the house. They suggested he waited until he saved up more, but he wanted his kid to have a real home, not the shitty excuse of an apartment he had. After grueling hours of work and many sleepless nights, Dean had build himself a four bedroom house. He had a huge living room to accommodate his equally huge group of family and friends and a porch equipped with a swing. But what Dean was most proud of was the kitchen. When one walked in, they are met with a large kitchen with a mahogany colored wooden island in the center. There were hard wood floors. There were mahogany colored cupboards lining the wall about the stove and matching ones under the counter tops. Next to the stove was the refrigerator. Passed all of that was the door leading out to the back yard. He could already see the mishaps that would happen there.

While building the house, Dean had high hopes of experiencing all the thing he had as a child with his own family. He imagined making breakfast for his family, having his family and friends over, barbecuing in the backyard, playing catch with his son in the backyard yard and celebrating holidays with his wife and kids. He was finally going to have everything he wanted, and he couldn't wait. Thinking back now, Dean couldn't help but think how life really didn't go as one planned. He had hoped, if he was lucky enough, he would have fallen in love and then gotten the house and kids afterwards, but he wouldn't change anything about the way things were now. He had a stable place to call his home, and a kid he couldn't imagine life without.

As Dean was getting the eggs and bread out to make eggs and toast, Henry walked into the kitchen. ' _How long was I standing here?_ ' he thought. Henry had his black "Metallica" t-shirt and white boxer briefs on, but his black jeans was in his hands. He set the eggs and bread down next to the sink. "I don't know how Uncle Sammy's going to feel about you going half dressed to his party, bud," chuckled Dean.

"Dad!" he whined.

Dean walked around the island and took his jeans from him."Okay, buddy, the left leg first," he instructed. Henry raised his left leg and Dean helped him get the pants leg on him. "Now, the right leg." Once again, he helped him get his leg into the pants leg. He then pulled his fly up and buttoned his pants, straightening his shirt. He smiled, "there, all ready to break some hearts." He picked him up and sat him down on one of the stools by the island and went around to the other side. "How does eggs and toast sound?"

"Okay. Can I have some jam on my toast?" he responded.

"Sure. Scrambled or sunny-side up?"

He had to think about that one but responded with "scrambled, please."

Dean set about getting the skillet out. He turned on the stove and put some oil in to heat up. He took out four eggs and cracked them in a bowl. When the oil was heated he added the chopped onion, sautéing them. He slowly poured the eggs in, stirring occasionally to scramble them. When they were almost done, he added the chopped tomatoes, feta cheese and salt and pepper. He let the cheese melt while he loaded the bread into the toaster. When everything was done, he got a plate for himself and one for Henry. Henry had toasts with some strawberry jam he found,eggs, and orange juice in his sippy cup. Dean simply had eggs, toast, and a glass orange juice for himself.

He sat at the island, opposite Henry and watched him happily munch on his toast, and, no doubt, swinging his legs back and forth. God, how he loved that kid. He was over the moon when _she_ told him she was pregnant. He damned near ran around the block, shouting for joy, when they found out it was a boy--his very own son to teach football to. Someone, he could take shooting with him and his dad when he was old enough. Someone, he knew would be able to see the beauty of his baby. He could see him riding baby to pick up his girl for their first date. Watching his kid get married to the love of his life. He could have it all.

He had a breakdown the day he found out he would have to do all of this on his own. How was he suppose raise this kid all on his own? He just recently got his own life together--or at least what one would call passable. He was left on his front porch with a screaming baby with no clue what to do. The enormity of what he signed up for finally sunk in. He was not ready for any of this. After a few colorful words and a good slap to the face by his mother, he finally pulled his shit together. His problems failed in comparison to what his son was going through. Like a good solider, he put on a brave face and plowed through.

The first year was complete hell. His kid viewed sleep as the enemy. He would only get about two hours of sleep, then wake up screaming bloody murder. Dean lost count of the amount of late night, early morning calls to his mother about why his baby wouldn't sleep, just to find out it's completely normal. Fuck his ever existing life.

"Babies have irregular sleeping times, Dean. And, no, your child is not the anti-christ," his mother would say.

Dean shed a tear the day he slept through the night--though he would never admit it. Dean both loved and hated the day he started crawling, but the pure joy on Henry's face when did was worth the chaos that followed. After the first crawl, he made it his life's mission to scour ever inch of their house. He found the baby gates his mortal enemy and would rattle them and whine whenever they wouldn't budge. Dean couldn't help but find his distress altogether adorable and amusing. Walking was yet another nightmare. Take one's eyes off of him for one minute, and he would be gone. He would run around bumping into everything. Dean was close to just wrapping him up in bubble wrap and letting him loose. His first words-

"Dad, you're not eating. Come on, we're going to be late," said Henry looking at his empty plate and Dean full plate, breaking Dean out of his thoughts.

"Sorry, buddy. Just thinking about some stuff," he replied smiling at his son. ' _Son_ ,' he thought.

Henry Johnathan Winchester. A two feet, eleven inch three year old, that was the spitting image of him--something that stilled filled him with a sense of awe. He had feared what would have happened if he had turned out looking more like his mother. Would he love him as much as he does now? Or, would he not be able to be in the same room as him? But somehow, he ended up looking like him, and he thanked every deity he could think of for that. Henry had his light-brown hair, his green eyes, his freckled cheeks and lips. The only thing he got from her were his ears, and chin.

Dean then reached over and ruffled his hair. "Why don't you go to the living room and watch some TV. I'll finish eating and clean up here, then go get ready, okay?

"Sure," he said, jumping off his stool and scurrying off to the living room. Dean chuckled. Yeah. He was so worth everything. All those stinky diapers, sleepless night and worry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Chapter is the party and the family.


	2. Origin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Birthday Party.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm changing the rating for the story. I was unsure if I wanted to write Dean and Cas having sexy fun time, but decided that I will. Wish me luck!

Dean looked out the window as the 1967 Chevy Impala approached the driveway. He spotted a sleek 1997 Ford Thunderbird already parked in the driveway. It would appear that his parents were already here.

' _Looks like Henry wasn't the only one excited about today_ ,' he mused in his head.

Dean could hardly get Henry to stop buzzing in place in the car-seat long enough for him to securely strap him down. He kept shooting him little annoyed glances while he was helping him, as if he's the reason they were taking so long. Even now, he could barely contain his excitement. His feet were rocking back and forth with his Batman's sneaker hitting the car seat and ever so often, he would push himself up as if he couldn't get comfortable enough. He had one arm wrapped the neck of his stuffed teddy bear, Jack, and the other arm resting on the armrest, mindlessly tapping his fingers. Looking through the rear view mirror, Dean could see the exact moment he spotted the other car; his eyes got wide, and he tried pushing himself up again, but groaned in exasperation when the car-seat kept him in place. It was a pain the ass for Dean to get him to stop trying to undo the seat belt when he was two. After a week of deliberation, and a new toy, he finally understood the importance of keeping it on.

"Dad, hurry up! Grandma and Grandpa are already here!" he shouted while, again, attempting to get out the seat. Dean sighed and shook his head.

"Henry, no matter how hard you try, you're not going to get out that seat," Dean pointed out as he slowly parked the car behind the Thunderbird. He then cut off the engine and turned around in his seat to look at his son, who was glaring out the window. "See, we made it with--" he paused to look at his watch, "--five minutes to spare." Henry huffed and rolled his eyes. Dean turned around and unbuckled his seat belt. He stepped out the car and was hit that warm Kansas air. It was the beginning of May. The time when it was humid enough that you could go out in a plain t-shirt. It was also the time he didn't have to worry so much about Henry getting sick. Clear blues skies with small fluffs dotting greeted his-- something Dean was happy about, not only for his son's sake but for Sam's as well. He made his way around the front of the car, chuckling at the increasingly impatient expressions his son was sending his way. He opened the door just as Henry was struggling to undo the seat belt.

"That's not going work," he chuckled, taking the seal belt from him and unbuckling it. "Impatient much." Both actions, however, were lost to him as he gazed forlorn over his father's shoulder at the front door. Dean lifted him out the seat and placed him on the ground. "There you go." As soon as feet hit the ground, he took off running up the neatly packed, multi-colored granite walkway leading up to the porch. He bounded up the steps and grabbing hold of the door knob the same time Dean released the breath he was subconsciously holding.

"We're here!" he announced, running into the house and leaving the door wide open. Dean turned back to the car and reached across the car-seat for the small brown duffel bag containing his and Henry's swimming trunks and some extra clothes in case they needed it. He slung the bad over his shoulder and locked the car door. He traversed the walkway up to the house at a more sedated pace. He made his way up to the door and walks in and is immediately assaulted with a savory smell. The air was mixed with the scent of chopped onions, an array of spices--cloves, oregano, basil, cumin, cinnamon-- and chopped fruits.

"Someone better be making a damn pie," he called out while making his was through Sam's living room to get to his kitchen. Sam's kitchen, unlike his, was smaller with natural oak colored island with matching colored cupboards lining the wall above the stove and counter tops as well as under them. The space between the island and the stove could accommodate at least two person at a time. The refrigerator was against the wall the door was attached too. When they were doing house shopping, he had suggested they get a bigger one, but neither one of them had his love of cooking, and didn't see the benefit of having a big kitchen. He chose not to begrudge their choice--only a little bit, but to each his own, he supposed. They even opted to get tiles instead of hardwood floors. That Dean refused to accept. Hardwood floors were an American classic. Dammit Sam.

His mother quirked an eyebrow at him from her place at the island. "Well, hello to you, too." And promptly when back to chopping carrots on the cutting board. She was wearing a dark-green dress with a large brown belt around her waist. She had her blonde hair out--never one the actually tie her hair up. She had a black apron with the word: "Kiss The Cook" in red letters. Jess, not even looking up from shredding cheese, giggled next to her on the other side of the island facing him. She was wearing dark-blue jean with a pink Henley t-shirt. There were three buttons at the top and sleeves that went up to her elbows. Unlike his mother, her blonde hair was tied up in a pony tail.

Dean groaned and sagged his shoulders. Why can't they understand his love? He walked up behind her, wrapped his arms around her waist and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "Hey, mom. Where's my pie?" Her body went rigid, chopping abruptly stopped, and she straightened her spine.

"Dean Winchester, so help me God." Dean threw back his head loudly laughing followed by Jess. In no time, they were both clutching their stomach, cheeks red, teary eyed and trying to stop laughing.

"I was kidding, Mom," he wheezed out, cheeks flushed, while trying to get his breathing under control. One look at Jess told him she was doing the same thing.

Jessica Moore--now Jessica Winchester-- was the best sister-in-law a guy could ask for. She and Sam had met at Stanford where she was studying to be a nurse and Sam to be a lawyer. She had an awesome sense of humor and made his job of looking after Sam a whole lot easier. Since he was born, Sam had been Dean's responsibility. He made it his job to teach Sam everything he knew, and it almost broke his heart when he decided to leave for Stanford. His baby brother was growing up and leaving him behind. Sam did assure him that he would always need him, but he needed to make his own way.

They met on their first semester there, since they both had to take the same introductory English class. He was the nerdy guy in the back of the classroom, and she was the opinionated girl in front. Somehow the caught each other eye and had been inseparable ever since. She even promised to take care of him for Dean. Neither couldn't wait till after college to get married, so they went to City Hall and got married. Her parents weren't extremely happy about it, but Sam was able to charm their pants off--good olé Winchester charm. After college, they both decided to move to Lawrence, and Sam used his share of money left by Samuel to by himself house. Right now everybody's holding their breath for another Winchester baby. Their mother hadn't been exactly subtle with her desire for more grandkids. Regardless, they balanced each other out and made each other happy.

She turned around in his arms and pointed the knife at him. He stepped back wide eyes, mouth slightly ajar, and hands raised in defense. "Need I remind you, it is not your birthday, so there will be no demands out of you." But there was a smile on her face.

He quickly composed himself and smiled. "Speaking of which, where is the birthday boy?" he questioned, eyebrows coming together.

"Well, it would appear a certain someone said that they needed to attend to the pool immediately," smirked Jess.

"Demanded is more like it," his mom said, sending him a knowing smile.

He knew all too well how determined he can be. When he wants something done, he'll get it done. It's one of the things Dean loved about his son. When other kids his age shy away for taking charge, Henry would dive right in and take the leader's mantle. Sometimes it really does scare him, thinking that he somehow made him grow up too fast or that he messed up somewhere along the line, and his kid figured he need to take control of things. All those thoughts, however, would dissipated whenever Henry would insist they snuggle up when watching TV or whenever he would have a bad dream and sneaked into his room--Jack in tow. For once in a long time, he allowed himself to think he did something right in his life.

"Well, I'm going to make sure Sam and Dad are okay." He walked over to the over to the backdoor. He turned his head to the side and smirked, "about that pie--" and ran out the door laughing at the slurs his mother threw his way. He came to a stop when he spotted his son on his father's shoulders, both facing the pool, backs to him. John had his hands around Henry's ankles, preventing him from falling off. His father was standing erect, head looking straight-- Henry's chin was resting on it-- looking regal. He was wearing faded blue jeans, bottoms worn out from constant wear and a plain red plaid shirt--knowing his Dad, it's probably buttoned all the way up and knowing his Mom, she probably tried convincing him to loosen at least one button. He was wearing flip-flops, earning a snort out of Dean. The great Johnathan Winchester, former heartthrob and the symbol of authority for the Winchester clan, reduced to the mere podium of a three year old. Oh, how the mighty have fallen.

"Uncle Sammy, you missed a spot," Henry bellowed lifting his chin off John's head.

John shook his head, trying to stop the ringing in his ears. "Easy there kiddo, your grandpa's ears aren't what they once used to be."

Sam poked his head out off the edge of the pool. ' _How did that monstrosity hide himself_ ,' Dean thought. From where Dean was standing, he could see Sam was wearing a black and red checkered shirt. His mop of a hair was hanging on his shoulders. One day, he's going to put Nair in his shampoo, or just shave it all off when he was pissed tonight. "What spot, bud?" Sam inquired.

He began aggressively pointing. "There by your foot. No, your other foot," he exasperatedly sighed when Sam turned his head the wrong way.

"Okay, ease up there on your uncle, buddy." John turned around to face him--Henry in tow. Sam looked up from his spot in the pool. "It's your uncle's birthday. You can't make him do all the work," he pointedly looked at his son and father.

"Sorry, Daddy," he apologized, head bowed and managing to look chagrined. "Sorry, Uncle Sammy," he said, looking at Sam.

Sam brought his hand to the back of his head and ran his fingers through his hair. "It's fine, Henry." He gave a forced chuckled. "I was supposed to do this a while ago."

Dean walked up to the pool and held his right hand out. "Give it here," he demanded.

Sam clutched the pool brush he was holding closer to him. "It's fine Dean. I can handle it," he fiercely defended. Dean edged closer to the pool--hand still out. "Dude, I have no problem cleaning my own pool." He looked Dean straight in the eye. "I already started." He then started scrubbing the spot Henry pointed out. _Dammit, Sam. Of course today you chose today to be a big baby_.

"Sam, hand me the damn brush or I'm coming in there and hitting you with it," Dean demanded. Sam looked up, determination shone in his eyes, and continued scrubbing without breaking eye contact with him.

Dean groaned. "Fine. Clean your own damn pool," he aggressively groaned, throwing his hands up. "It's your damn birthday anyways. If you wanna do manual labor, then by all means."

He turned to his father. "Come on, Dad. Let's set up the grill and get started before anyone else shows up." He tilted his head toward Sam. "Sam and his pool needs some time alone." He maturely chose to ignored the eye roll and bitch-face Sam sent his way and when over to the little shed to get the grill.

A few minutes of banging into useless gardening tool, an incessant amount of noise, and cobwebs, Dean emerged with Sam's ridiculous five burner stainless steel grill. "Let's get this show on the road," he beamed, a grin stretching wide across his face and crinkling his eyes.

~~~★~~~

It wasn' t until two hours later that the others started to arrive.

The firsts of them were Bobby and his wife, Ellen. Wife. Something that Dean couldn't still believe. Bobby wearing black jeans, hiking boots, and blue plaid button-up shirt. Yep, the Winchester clan really needs a wardrobe change. He forgo shaving and showed up in full beard and mustache.

Bobby has been John's friend for the better part of thirty-five years. They met when John was traveling through South Dakota trying to find a place to start a life. John was hanging out at a local bar flirting with the bartender--something he swears to this day that he wasn't doing--when the girl's boyfriend walked into the bar. In the blink of an eye, a fullout bar brawl was happening--fits flying everywhere. Out of nowhere, Bobby showed up and started punching the guy cornering John, and then dragged him out the bar. His wife, Karen, and him offered John a place to stay and a offer from a friend in Lawrence looking for help. After that they kept in touch, and he was able to return the favor five years later when Bobby lost his wife and unborn child to a home invasion. At first it was meant to be a change of scenery for him to grieve and have a close friend to lean on, but ended up as a permanent stay. A year later, _Winchester-Singer Auto Body Shop_ was born, further securing Bobby's place as one of the family. Over the years, Bobby became more of a second father to the boys, rather than an uncle. He took them fishing and to baseball and football games when John couldn't. He was the person they went to when their parents weren't an option. He became a father figure to them, and they became the kids he longed for.

"Hey, the rest of us are out back," Dean said, holding the six-pack of beer he came in for when the doorbell rang. Bobby pulled him for a one-armed hug then stepped aside for Ellen to come in. She was wearing black jeans, a plain burgundy button up shirt--that wasn't buttoned up--over a black cotton t-shirt. She decided to let her thick brunette hair out instead of tying it up like she normally did. Dean pulled her in for a hug and said in her ear, "You look lovely as ever, Ellen."

She chuckled when he pulled back. "Seems like Mary somehow finally knocked some manners into you."

Unlike Bobby, Ellen was Mary's childhood friend. They met when they were five when Ellen moved next door to the Campbells. Ever since then, they went and did everything together--from the same kindergarten to high school. They were inseparable until Ellen's father moved them to Nebraska when she was sixteen due to a new job. They stayed in contact and visited each other whenever they could. Their long-distance friendship ended the night she showed up his parent's front door, tears streaming down her face and a newborn in her arms. Her husband had just died in a car crash and she didn't know who to turn to. Like Bobby, his parents offered her a place to stay and, like Bobby, she never left Lawrence. She used the insurance money she received to open a bar--The Roadhouse. She became a second mom and her daughter became a life-long friend to the Winchester boys. She became a confidant to Dean when he left on his own with Henry. He lost count of the amount of times he called her crying because he didn't think he could raise a kid on own his. She was always there to listen and share her own stories of self-doubt about when she was left to raise Jo without her husband because she knew how overwhelming it can get sometimes, even when you have a whole support group behind you. And he could always count on her to give him a knock on the head when he was being ridiculous. A big part of him knew he would never be able to truly thank her for how much she helped him when he couldn't help himself.

"Har-har, Ellen," Dean sarcastically replied.

Dean always had a soft spot for both Bobby and Ellen, but practically dropped dead when he found out they were dating. Apparently, they have been dancing around each other for a while, and he was oblivious to it.

As his mother eloquently put it, "you were too busy trying to get into someone's pants to notice anything else around you." Back then Dean would have agreed that he was not the smartest person, but he was smart enough to at least have noticed if something was going on between them. He did now have the balls to admit that if he had been more attentive, he would have seen what was going between them and right through that certain someone's facade. But regardless, he has seen how happy they make each other, and he would never begrudge that.

"Where's that heathen of a daughter of ours?" he teased, earning a smack to his upper arm from Ellen.

"You're hysterical," Jo drawled, appearing from behind her mother. She was wearing a red summer dress with white horizontal zig-zag patterns from top to bottom. The dress was about an inch below her knees. Unlike her mom, she decided to tied her dirty blonde hair up and put it over the front of her right shoulder. "I thought guest we supposed to be treated with respect."

"I though witches only came out on Halloween," he retorted.

"Why don't you crawl back to whatever hole you came out from."

"I hope you can get a refund for that face of yours."

"I hope--"

"Okay, that enough," Ellen interrupted. "We get it you both can't stand each. Can we get on with this," she said throwing her head back in exasperation while rolling her eyes. Dean and Jo grinned at each other.

Joanna Beth Harvelle. A name that Dean would no longer utter, even on pain of death. He had been socked enough times to know when to shut his mouth. Thinking about it now, he couldn't help but wince. When Ellen showed up at their door with her, Dean was four at the time and had made a promise to himself that he would protect her like he planned to with his brother his mom was carrying. Since then, he had always seen her as a little sister, whom he loved to constantly piss off. She was tough as nails and didn't take shit from anyone. She was never afraid to show them that she could do anything they could, even if she was a girl. So, they never treated her as one. Which was why, when she started wearing dresses at fourteen, everyone was slightly confused. Apparently she fell victim to the Winchester charm, and figured the only way to get Dean's attention was to act like the girls she bemoaned so much. Dean caught on and decided it was worth a shot--much to Ellen's dismay. After two dates, they realized that it was too awkward and really weren't meant to be a couple. They had laugh about it and refused to acknowledge it ever happened after that. Now, she was back to being the little sister that was fiercely protective of them as they were of her.

Dean, still looking at her, raised an eyebrow. "Where's that husband of yours?"

Just then Ash came up from behind Jo and pushed her out the way. "He's right here and he comes bearing gifts, " he said, holding up two cases of beer, one stacked on top the other.

"Watch where you're going asshole," she said after having recovered from being pushed aside. Then she hit him on the back of the head for good measure.

Ash Thompson, the former MIT student. Back then no-one knew that about him. He just showed at Ellen's looking for a job. Ellen decided to give him a test run, and pretty soon he was raking in customers. People naturally flocked towards his easy-going attitude. He got the job and quickly became one of them. It wasn't until several months later when Dean was helping him move into a new apartment that Dean found the letter from MIT. He got kicked out for fighting. When asked why he didn't go back to school, he said he was happy where he was now, and how miserable he was in school. But they knew the reason why. He fell for Jo and he fell hard and fast, as did she. They would go around barely giving each other the time of day--except for the rare jabs at each other-- to looking at the each other, when the other wasn't looking, as if they hung the moon. They finally got their act together when one guy wouldn't stop harassing her. She was bartending one night, and this one guy wouldn't stop trying to hook up with her. Ash finally had enough and punched the guy which lead to an all out fits fight, earning him a black eye and broken nose, before Ellen broke them up. Poor guy didn't even get a break then because Jo then started berating him for defending her, stating she was more than capable of defending herself. It was worth it though, when he pulled her in and kissed her open mouthed in front of the entire bar. She then pulled away, slapped him and told him to get himself looked after, then they can talk. The smile on his face when she walked away could possibly light up all of middle America. Now four years later, they're happily married and quite frankly the weirdest couple he has ever seen.

"That great man--whoa. Is that the blue label kind?" he asked. At his nod, he moaned out, "you're a God, Ash. A God." 

"Okay, boy. Calm down," Ellen said, amused.

"Why don't you put those in the fridge for later tonight," he said. He closed the door behind them and they made their to the backyard.

"Grandpa Bobby!" Henry shouted, running up to Bobby and into his open arms.

Bobby lifted him up and squeezed him tight. "Hey there, kiddo." Henry released him after a few seconds later, his hands coming to rest on Bobby chest, smiling widely at him. "God, you're getting bigger by the day," Bobby grunted.

"It's all the pie," Henry joked. Slience fell on the entire backyard, and everyone turned to look at him. There was a uproar of laughter, not long after. Dean stared slack jawed at his son.

He quickly pulled himself together. "He's kidding, guys! I don't feed him that much pie!" His family just laughed harder.

"Sure, Dean," Sam wheezed out, teary eyed.

"I swear," he solemnly told them.

"Hey, what all the laughing about?" came an mused vocie. Everyone turned to see Charlie, Gilda, Benny, and Andrea standing by the back gate--each wearing a smile on their faces.

Charlie was wearing faded black jeans with a black Darth Vader shirt. Her lustrous red hair was untied and hanging a few inches below her shoulder. Gilda, her girlfriend, was wearing a white dress covered with hand stitched floral patterns that was a few inches shy of her knees. He had meet them at a _Comic Con_ convention in Oregon, when he was passing through back from a car show in Washington. Some asshole was harassing Gilda and Charlie, telling them they just needed a real man to show them a good time then they wouldn't be gay anymore. Dean had told him off and dared him to try anything, and he would rearranged his face. The guy quickly left, but Dean decided to stay with them incase the guy showed up again. They spent the entire day together, and he and Charlie quickly developed a bond. They exchange number and promised to keep in contact. A year later, he got a call from them saying they her moving to Lawrence because Gilda's grandfather had passed away and left her his bakery. They packed up their lives and moved and were gladly welcomed by everyone else.

Behind them were Benny and his wife, Andrea. Benny was wearing black jeans and and indigo plaid shirt over a white shirt. Andrea was wearing a plain lime green dress the went past her knees that proudly showed off her seven month old baby bump. Dean had met Benny when he went to New Orleans to collect some parts for his dad. He was walking out of a diner when he spotted some guy eying his baby. He confronted him and one thing led to another, and they were discussing the benefits of different engines. Benny also mentioned his wife, and how her father had disowned her because she chose to marry him. According to her father, he was a low life that had no family and no direction in life, and if she wanted to spend the rest of her life with that then he wanted no part of it. Now, he had to work all odd jobs to support them, but couldn't care less since he had her. As fate would have it, they were looking for a mechanic to replace the one who moved a few weeks ago. One phone call later to his father, and Dean was offering Benny a real job if he and his wife were willing to move to Lawrence. They accepted and the rest was history. Now, they were happier than they have ever been in New Orleans, and were expecting twin girls.

"Oh, nothing. Just the last of Dean's dignity," said Sam after finally catching his breath.

They all just looked back confused, prompting him to laugh again.

John walked up to them and ushered them all into the backyard. "Don't worry, Henry will explain."

Dean groaned loudly. "I need a drink." He couldn't stop smiling though. He had the most important people in his life all in one place. Seeing them all together--laughing and enjoying themselves--he didn't know what more he could ask for.

~~~★~~~

Henry did finally get to play in the pool. He was wearing his black and blue Batman swimming trunks with his two orange inflatable armbands. Charlie and Gilda were with him. Charlie was wearing a Darth Vader themed swimsuit--as only she would--while Gilda was wearing a Storm Trooper themed swimsuit. Sometimes he couldn't help but love 'em.

Henry was currently splashing water at Charlie, who was shielding herself with her hands, laughing. His laughter was the loudest out of all of them though. Dean turned to the left sending a lopsided grin his father's way.

John Winchester, the one that started this family and gave them a place where they felt welcomed. He knew all too well about not having a place you felt safe and welcomed in. After his father was shot and killed, he went from foster home to foster home, never finding anywhere he belonged. He finally left the foster system at eighteen, and spent two years traveling around finding jobs wherever he could. He met Bobby then and made his way to Lawrence. He had ever intention to leave but was smitten by the waitress at a diner--Mary. He got a job as a local mechanic from Bobby's friend and tried wooing her. They both fell really fast; something Samuel wasn't happy about it. He wanted her to marry a family friend and stay in the family business of making guns. Mary, however, was tired of her father running her life, and her and John eloped. He gave her an escape from her family-- a family that ignored her until she got pregnant. She was finally able to become a teacher, and he finally got a family. A family that continued to grow a few years later with the birth of Dean and a heartbroken Bobby, and from then on it just took off. The Winchester clan now had their own successful business, and people that all loved each other.

"You know, Bobby's right; he is getting bigger," a voice said from behind him.

"Mom, don't," he warned, voice going hard.

She placed her hand on his shoulder. "Dean, I was--"

"I know what you were trying to do," he said, eyes staring intently ahead, anger evident on his face, "and you already know my answer."

"Dean, we just want you--" she said giving his shoulder a squeeze. "We want to be--"

"You want me to be what, Mom?" he hissed. He then broke away from her grip and whirled around to face her and apparently the others standing behind her. "To be what? Happy?" he shouted, trying to ignore the hurt expression on her face. He forced himself to clam down a little, taking deep breaths. "I am happy," he pleaded, silently begging them to understand for the umpteenth time. "I don't know what else to do to convince you all," he said, defeated while running his hands through his hair.

"Dean, you're content," Sam said, stepping forward coming shoulder to shoulder with their mom, "you're not really happy, or as happy as you could be."

"Sam, I--"

"Remember how ecstatic you were when you found out you were going to be Dad?" he questioned. "Remember how happy you were building the house?" he said staring intently at him, willing him to understand. "We want that guy back."

"Sam, I still am that guy," he assured him.

"No, you're not," he sadly responded. "You're only that guy when Henry's around. You're only that sincerely happy when he's with you. The rest of the time you just put on a brave face for the rest of us."

"Sam, I don't pretend in front of you guys," he angrily defended, cheeks turning red.

"You do, brotha," said Benny. "You try really hard when you're around us to seem like your old self or you focus entirely on you work so you can get home sooner."

"We're not saying that you wanting to spent as much time with your son as possible is a bad thing," Mary quickly rushed out before he got the wrong idea. "It's just that, Henry won't be a child forever."

"He's not going to want his dad around twenty-four-seven forever," John sternly told him.

"When you're not with him, you end up working, and only go out when we force you to--even then you constantly worry about Henry," Benny interjected.

His mother walked up to him and took his face in her hands caressing his cheeks with her thumb. "We just want you to not be worried all the time," she said, looking him in the eyes. "We want you to have someone who will be there for you. You need someone who you can connect too."

He recoiled from her touch. "I had someone I connected to and looked how that turned out," he spat out. He vehemently glared at them, nostrils flaring.

"Dean, you can't continue letting her--"

"I'm not letting her do anything," he shouted. "I have tried finding someone! And I couldn't! We're done talking about this!"

"Dad?" He whirled around to find Henry clutching onto Charlie, looking at him worriedly. He instantly realized he was scaring Henry. ' _Get a grip, Winchester_ ,' he told himself, ' _you're scaring your own kid_.' He quickly reigned his anger in.

"Everything's fine, buddy," he said while he approached the pool. "Why don't we get you out of that pool?" he said, grabbing a towel off a plastic chair. "It's gonna get late soon, and Uncle Sammy still has to cut his cake."

Charlie swam up to the edge of the pool when he got there, and handed Henry to Dean. He lifted him out of the pool and wrapped him up in the towel. He took him in his arms and made his way up to they house, not looking at any of his family in the face. Henry, who was perched on his father's arm, swirled his head to look imploringly at his family, but none knew what to say to him.

Once they were inside, Mary turned to face Charlie with a pleading look on her face. "It's not going to work this time," she sighed. Mary sagged and looked dejected. "I think we finally pushed too far this time." She frowned at Mary.

"We should probably let the Idjit cool off before we go anywhere near him," Bobby resigned, but clearly thinking they may have truly gone too far.

"I don't think we realized how deeply she actually hurt him," Charlie said. Everyone remained silent at that. Each silently hating her for what she did to them.

Mary sighed and looked up to the sky and prayed to whoever was listening to help her son find his other half. Someone to make the pain go away. 

~~~★~~~

Dean did manage to calm down eventually and decided not to dwell on what happened earlier--for Sam sake and Henry's. They were able to actually enjoy themselves. Dean did get his pie--apple to be exact. Sam got a red velvet cake, equipped with twenty-five candles. His mom cried as usual, stating all her kids were growing up. Sam didn't get pissed though--much to Dean's dismay--but Benny did. He was pissed to the point that he was serenading Andrea, something he's not going to live down for a long time. Henry probably had the most fun out of everyone. He went from one pair of grandparents to the other, running around, demanding attention from everyone, who gladly gave it. Now, they were all starting to head home. Dean was at the door with a sleeping Henry in his arm.

"Sorry to bail so early, Sammy," Dean sheepishly said.

 "It's okay Dean," he chuckled, "frankly, I'm surprised he lasted this long." He was surprised himself. Henry's been running since eight this morning, and finally clocked out a little after nine.

"Yeah, the little guy finally worked himself out," he smiled and rest his cheek on top of Henry's head.

"Listen, Dean, about earlier--"

"Forget about it, Sam," he said, cutting him off. "It's my fault for exploding like that, and on your birthday no less." He gave his brother an apologetic smile.

"No, Dean. We pushed knowing how much you hate talking about this, and we're sorry about that," he smiled sadly at him. "And we decided not interfere anymore. If you say you're happy...then we should believe you."

"I get it though. You guys all found your special someone, and you want the same for me," he reasoned, "but maybe I'm not as lucky as you guys. Maybe this is as good as it gets for me." He raised to stop Sam's response. "And I'm more than happy with this." He smiled up at Sam, willing him to see the sincerity of his words.

"Dean." He sounded so defeated and crestfallen.

He used his free hand to pull Sam in for a hug--mindful of Henry sleeping in the other arm-- and whispered to Sam, "enjoyed the rest of your birthday, baby brother, and stop worrying about me so much."

He picked up his duffel bag and turned around a walked to his car, ignoring the resigned sigh Sam released. He open the back car door and tossed the duffel bag in. He hunched over to put Henry in the car seat, chuckling at the tiny whimper he let out when he put him down. He maneuvered him until he was securely strapped in, smiling at the little frowns he made in his sleep. God, his kid was adorable.

"I know, buddy. Daddy's moving as fast as he can. We'll be home soon." He kissed Henry's forehead before he got out and closed the door. He waved to Sam, who was still standing at the door, and walked to the driver's side and got it. He started his baby up and pulled out the driveway. He laughed humorlessly to himself. "Our family worries too much, buddy."

He had given up hope a long time ago of ever finding someone willing to spend the rest of their life with him, and it would do his family good if they accepted that, too.

She was right. Who would be willing to love him? 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dean and Henry finally meet Cas next chapter.


	3. Impetus

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Henry meets a special someone, and I guess Dean does too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait. Procrastination is evil. Evil.

The first time he met him, he was at the grocery store, no less. There was no overly cliché incident. He didn't bump into him at a coffee shop and accidentally spill coffee on him; he didn't offer to pay his dry cleaning, then fall madly in love. He didn't have him trip and fall on him, then stay there looking into each other's eyes. No, Dean Winchester met his blue-eyed angel at Eckan Just Food.

He met him at the store he worked at when he was saving up money to take Roslin Meyers to the prom.Thinking back now, he would probably say it was one of the worst nights of his life--if he was completely honest with himself. He had to rent a limo; one she ridiculed for the entire ride there because it was too small. How was that even possible? A limo practically equated to a big car. How much bigger did she want it? Once at the prom, she spent an obscene amount of time with her friends gushing over each other's dresses. Don't get him started on the amount of time they spent talking about what other people were wearing. When he finally got her alone to ask her to dance, she had the gall to tell him to not make her look bad. She needed to 'leave this God forsaken place with a good image' for when she becomes famous. She got drunk because someone spiked the punch and puked on his shoes. (Dean forgot why he even asked her in the first place. Oh, that's right, she was hot and popular, and he was kinda expected to show with someone like her.) She did go into acting, but ended up failing miserably. Now, she was just some assistant in New York, and he was thankful for that. Imagining her now with Henry just made a chill run down his spine.

He's at Eckan's, with Henry, because of his desolated pantry. He woke up this morning planning on making some oatmeal for Henry and cereal for himself but found nothing. He could have sworn it was filled to the brim the last time he checked but was utterly wrong. He eventually reasoned that he did have a growing child under his roof, and did sorta have a bottomless pit of a stomach himself. What can he say? He a hearty kinda guy. Sam can stick to his rabbit food, give him a good steak any day.

Henry was ecstatic because this meant he would get to go to his grandparents'  house for breakfast. It was always amusing to watch he get ready to go to their house. He practically dashed from one room to the other-- from the bathroom to the living room to his room--getting ready. (One time he even suggested they go in their pajamas, because 'Grandma already saw us in them, she wouldn't mind.') Dean would stand at the bottom of the stairs and watch him, chuckling every time he passed by. He outright laughed when he whined about him not getting dressed. Then Dean was being pushed up the stairs into his room to get changed. He didn't pass up the chance to tease him. He would feign being hurt that 'his own son, his own flesh and blood' loved his mother's cooking better than his. He would mournfully go about getting dressed, while woefully saying how his son hated him. It was insanely amusing when Henry sat him down the first time to explain to him that he loved him more than Grandma, but she made really good pancakes. He had looked at him with big pleading eyes, begging him to believe that he didn't in fact hate him. Dean almost felt bad for laughing, but he looked so earnest and pleading that he couldn't help but laugh. Dean did calm down enough to explain that he knew and was just pulling his leg. Now he just rolled his eyes and told Dean to hurry up. 

Henry's voice pulled him from his thoughts. "Dad, you have been starting at that can for a long time now." His brows coming together in confusion and his head tilted a little to the the left, eyes flickering from the can in Dean's hand to his face.

This was one of the things he loves most about his son. Whenever he was confused, he would tilt his head like a little bird listening to the various sounds around it. He looked damn near adorable every time that Dean just wanted scoop him and threaten that he would eat him up for being so damn adorable, while pretending to take a nip of him--whether it be his neck, ear, nose. Every time Henry would go into a fit of laughter, feebly bat his head away, and beg him not to eat him. Dean was guilty of confusing him on many occasions just to see him to do it. He did, however, have to restrain himself at the moment though. Having a hysterically laughing three year old in the canned goods aisle would draw too much unwanted attention right now. He was not really privy at the moment to have strangers gawking at him and his kid.

"Just thinking about some stuff," he responded, since having figured out that pretending to nibble on his kid wasn't a good response at the moment--no matter how much he wanted to. ' _He had to be that adorable, didn't he? With his puffy cheeks, all dotted with freckles, his cute little mouth,  and buttoned nose_ ,' he groused in his head.

"That's been happening a lot," he said, his forehead scrunched up, worry clouding his eyes, and lips tightly pressed together.

"Buddy, I'm fine," he sighed, putting the can of black beans into his cart. When he looked back at Henry, his faced had relaxed and wasn't as constricted as before, but the look of worry never left his eyes. He sighed again, his shoulders drooping, and looked sadly at his son.

"Henry, I'm fine," he said. He then bent down and snaked his arms around his tiny waist, and hoisted him up, so that they were looking eye to eye. He kissed his forehead, but let his lips linger for a few seconds. Why was it that everyone thought that something was wrong with him, lately? He moved back and look him in the eyes. "Henry, me thinking a lot doesn't mean something's wrong. It's just something that grownups do sometimes. Okay?"

Henry nodded his head and Dean continued. "We have a lot more to think about than kids do, and sometimes we can't help but think about them. They just happen. So stop worrying about me. It's my job to worry about you." He moved forward and rubbed his nose against his. Henry giggled and moved back, away from his dad, graced him with a wide smile with all teeth showing and crinkled eyes. Dean grinned back then swooped forward to plant a quick peck on his nose.

"Dad!" he whined. He rubbed his nose with the back of his left hand like a cat would. He looked up at his father with his bottom lip protruded--pouting.  

"Why the long face?" laughed Dean. "But seriously, you've been a little down lately." Henry cast his eyes down looking at Dean's chest rather than his face. "Is this because of the party last week?" Again, he refused to look at him, but took the dark gray Metallica t-shirt Dean was wearing between the thumb and index fingers of his right hand and lightly caressing it. "Henry," he sighed miserably. "I got a little mad that day because everyone keep bugging me about something I already talked to them about."

"But you never yell when I'm around," he sullenly responded, still refusing to look up.

Dean sighed again. "I know buddy; I shouldn't have gotten angry." He bumped his nose against his forehead causing his to finally look at him. "But everything's okay now, and everyone not mad at me," he explained. Henry nodded his head. "Good. Love you."

"Love you too, Dad," he replied, smiling at him.

He relaxed knowing now that the issue was behind them, and shifted him so that his was sitting on his right arm. He then started pushing the shopping cart down the aisle with the free hand. "Come on, we better continue, or we're not going to have anything to eat tonight."

"What were you thinking about?" he asked, causing Dean's movement to come to a halt.

"Well, I was thinking about the I worked here..." he trailed off noting the shocked expression on his face.

"You used to w-work  here ?" he asked, eyes wide in wonder.

Dean abruptly started laugh. "I-it's not as great as you think it was, bud," he wheezed out. "It was long hours and way too much packing," he chuckled and started moving again.

Henry deflated at that. "Why did you work here then?"

"I was trying to save up money for prom."

"Prom?" he asked confused, again tilting his head cutely to the side.

"Prom's a kind of dance that high school kids go to, Ry," he explained.

"Do you dress up, like we did for Aunt Jo and Uncle Ash's wedding?"

"Yeah, you do," he said as they got to the end of the aisle and rounded the corner. "The girls wear dresses and the boys wear a tux."

"I have a tux," he excitedly stated, bouncing in his father's arm.

"Yeah, and you were really adorable in it," Dean responded and lean over to give him a kiss on his cheek.

"Grandma said I looked--" he paused, narrowing his eyes, eyebrows coming together and a look of concentration on his face, while trying to remember what his mother told him.

"She called you dashing," Dean cut in when it became apparent he wasn't getting anywhere.

"Yeah. Everyone else said so, too," he said and pointedly looked at him,"and not adorable."

Dean started laughing. Ever since he turned three, he started telling people to stop calling him 'cute' and 'adorable' because he was a big boy now. He claimed that he was one his way to becoming a man, and only little kids got called those things. He would glare at anyone that called him that and studiously explained why they should never call him those dreaded words. The only person allowed to call him 'cute' and 'adorable' was Dean's mom, and only because she stuffs him full of sugar whenever he visited them. Dean got away with sometimes when he was too sleepy to do anything. The thing he found amusing about all of it was that he still wanted to cuddle up with him, and liked being carried around by someone. Apparently, you were never too old to cuddle with someone, since, 'Uncle Sammy and Aunt Jess do it all the time,' and 'my legs are shorter and you guys can get to places faster than I can.' Dean would much rather have him not be in a hurry to grow up so soon. He wanted him to be as little and naive as long as possible.

"Alright, Mr. Dashing," he said, rolling his eyes, "lets gets the rest of our stuff, so we can go home and mindlessly wander around like we do every Sunday."

"Okay, Dad-" he started then stopped looking wide eyed and shell-shocked"-we didn't get the Poptarts, Dad!" He then started squirming about, and Dean was forced to put him down. Once on the ground, he took off running.

"Henry!" Dean shouted after him. "Be careful!" Henry paid him no mind, and continued running until he got to the snack aisle. Dean sighed and went after him. Looks like he was going to have to give him the talk about sticking close to him again. He made his way down the aisle just as Mrs. Jenson, the lady that lived across the street from him, turned the the corner of the snack aisle. She was wearing a bright yellow dress that just shy of her ankles. She had her now completely grayed hair in a bun, and her broad, thick glasses almost hanging off the tip of her nose. He would do anything just to see her once wear something dark in color. In all seven years that he had known her, he could honestly say she fears things darker than her obnoxiously sunny personality. As soon as she spoted him, an enormous smile encompassed her face, and her eyes sparkled with poorly consealed mischief. ' _Oh God, here it comes_ ,' he thought and inwardly groaned.

"Dean!" she shouted. Dean's pretty sure he was not the only one that cringed. He was damn near sure he heard someone yelp. Why wouldn't they? She practically screeched his name, and he was merely a foot away from her.

"Mrs. Jenson, fancy meeting you here," he said with as much force as what he was putting into the smile on his face. ' _God, take me now_ ,' he pleaded.

"Oh, sweety, I was gardening this morning when I heard you telling Henry you were coming here, and I remembered needing some cucumber seeds," she said, laughing heartly and smacked his right shoulder.

"Ha-ha, funny I didn't see you," he grunted out, while rubbing his shoulder."Or I would have taken my ass back inside," he muttered under his breathe.

"What was that, dear?" she inquired.

"N-nothing," he chuckled nervously.

"Oh, I almost forgot," she suddenly jumped up, oozing excitement. "I wanted to tell you that Melinda is visiting me this weekend."

"That's great," he gritted out.

Melinda Jenson was her insanely hot granddaughter. She had extremely wavy black hair, and a chest that would cause any man to stop what he was doing and just stare. Dean had done plenty of staring when she first visited a year and a half ago. She was all tanned skinned and showed as much interest as he did. He would have made a move had she not open her mouth. She became the perfect carbon copy of her dear grandmother. She was just as loud and had anyone grinding their teeth more times than necessary. Conversations with her were painfully dull and had him desperately trying to politely tell her to shut it. Her laugh was nothing more that a repeated shrilled gush of wind. He inwardly cried tears of joy when Henry was genuinely scared of her laugh. He cried the first time he heard it, and from them on clung on to anyone close by whenever he saw her. Good olé,  Mrs. Jenson hadn't given up and tried fruitlessly to set them up ever since. He would like it if she saw how much of a bad idea that would be. He would much rather spend his time doing important things than start a relationship that they both knew would get nowhere.

"Isn't it?" she beamed. He just gave her a tight smile. "Any-who,  I just saw that darlin' little boy of yours. Good, God. He's just so adorable. I just wanna pinch his little cheeks," she squealed bringing her hand up to make pinching gestures.

' _Please don't do that_ ,' he thought. ' _For one, they hurt, and secondly, I can't handle him crying right now_.'  

"Speaking of which, I better go get him before he gets into any trouble," Dean said and pushed his cart forward. "I'll see you later, Mrs. Jenson."

"Alright, deary," she happily said and pushed her cart in the opposite direction,"give that little cutie a kiss for me."

He nodded his head and turned the corner. "Like hell I will," he muttered. He hoped that they wouldn't run into any other nuisance. Well, he could only hope. He stopped in his tracks though when he saw Henry talking to some guy. ' _Who the hell is that and why is he talking to my son?_ '

~~~★~~~

"Henry!" he heard his dad shouted after him and then a "Be careful!" shortly after. But he was too focused on getting the Poptarts. Plus, he knew his dad wouldn't be too far behind. When he turned the aisle, he came to a sudden halt. ' _No_ ,' he thought. ' _Not her_.'

"Henry," she shouted when she saw him. She also startled the man behind her. He couldn't blame him though. She and her granddaughter could be pretty loud. She started moving towards him, her smile increasing with intensity the closer she got. He didn't even try to conceal the sheer terror on his face. He was certain of it when he saw the sympathetic smile on the man's face behind her.

"Mrs. Jenson," the man called after her in a deep voice he had only hear from his grandfathers, "it would be extremely wise of you to get home a soon as possible." She turned around to face him and he continued,"Those watermelons are quite fresh and any more exposure to warm air would certainly result in bland tasting melons." Henry's pretty sure he wanted to hug this man.

"Oh Dear, I almost forgot," she said to the man. "I should really get these home." She turned around and started moving again but this time a little quicker.

"Sorry, sweetheart,  I'm in a rush," she said when she got to him, "I'll have to talk to you later." She then patted his head and continued walking.

He turned wide eyed to the man, who chuckled and when back to looking at the shelves. Henry noticed he was in front of the Poptarts and ran over to him. He needed to thank him; his dad taught him better than that.

"Thank you," he breathed out. The man, not taking his eyes of the Poptarts in front of him, chuckled.

"You don't need to thank me," he said, reaching forward for a box. "I had the pleasure of meeting her myself not too long ago."

But Henry could tell from his tone that he wasn't all that pleased to meet her. Mrs. Jenson wasn't his favorite person either. He chuckled and the man shift his eyes downward to look at him and smiled a big smile--gum and teeth all showing. Henry turned his gaze to the shelf in front of him. Henry decided that he was pretty cool, and if he could get rid of her that easily then he was okay in his book.

"Picking out flavors, too?" the man asked as he turned to look at him, but not before putting the box back.

"Yeah," he answered, "we almost forgot about them." The man made a sound of understanding.

"I would have hated it if I forget getting a box," he frowned, "but I could never get one box, though." Henry looked at at him with a confused expression on his face. "I tend to finish one box in less than a day," he quickly added.

"Me too!" he chirped excitedly then quickly deflated. "Dad still buys more than one boxes, but only gives me one Poptart like every other day," he frowned, pouting. This get a laugh out of the man standing next to him.

"I'm sensing a backstory to this," he said, smirking. Henry groaned causing the man to laugh again. "You don't have to tell me, but how about helping me pick out a box... or five?" he said and winked at Henry.

"Okay," he said, turning back to the shelf smiling. Yeah, he definitely liked this guy. He didn't know why but he  definitely liked him."What your favorite flavor?"

"S' mores flovered. Yours?"

"Chocolate-chip cookie dough." ' _He liked chocolate flavor things, too_ ,' he thought.

He made an appreciative noise. "Good choice. So, should I stick to with my favorite flavors or try something new?" They both looked at the shelves before them, the man giving him time to make a decision. He was trusting him with this, and he didn't want to disappoint him. Somehow, this was  really important.

~~~★~~~

The guy was smiling too much at his son for Dean's taste. He was wearing black jeans and a burgundy dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. _'Who even wears a dress shirt to the grocery store?_ ' Dean thought. He was at least three inches shorter that Dean. Even through his shirt, Dean could tell that he was reasonably built--more of a runner's body than the more dedicated gym-goers. He wasn't really in a place to judge, but working with car did keep him in shape. His dark brown hair was all mussed up, like he spent most of his time running his hands through it instead of actually trying to keep it together. He had a clean shaved face and a pointed nose and pretty chapped lips. It was summer for God's sake, why is his lips chapped?

Dean was getting increasingly frustrated. Over-protective Dean Winchester reporting for duty. He started walking again and stopped when he heard his son groaned. Okay, this guy is gonna get it. He sucked in a breathe though when he saw Henry smiling to himself. ' _H-he likes this guy?!_ ' Dean screamed in his head. What did he miss? He lose sight of his son for five minutes, and he already found someone he liked. Henry had always been a little wary around outsiders, and having him just standing there talking and smiling with some stranger was really messing with him right now. He really needed to get to the bottom of this.

"It's too bad they don't no longer have the red velvet flavor," Mr. Wear-Dress-Shirt-to-the-Grocery-Store said.  And Whoa. His voice was all kinds of deep. It was low and gravelly; Bobby sure had nothing on him. ' _Snap out of it, Winchester. You're on a mission here_.'

"What?" he frowned and tilted his head to the side. Oh, God. He's completely unguarded to this guy.

The guy tilts his head to the left mimicking him, squinting and looking at him like he could't quite believe the words coming out his mouth. "Red velvet flavored Poptarts? You never had it?" he asked. Henry shook his head. "It's by far the best one the ever created," he said then inclined his head upward, looking straight ahead. "But alas, all good things must come to an end, and the good was tragically taken from us." He then brought his hand, palm facing down, under his nose. He sniffled. "I'm going to need a moment," he whispered. ' _Who is this guy?_ ' Dean thought incredulously. Henry then burst out laughing, the clapped both hands over his mouth and stared in horror at the man in front of him. The guy just lowered his hand, gazed down at him and a wide grin appeared on his face. Henry moved his hands and they both started laughing. Dean snorted, and Henry whirled around to see him while the guy looked over at him.

Blue.

That was the first thing to came to his mind. It was like someone took a piece of the night sky and put it in this guys eye sockets. Could someone's eyes be that blue? He felt something run up his spine when his razor like gaze zeroed in on him. Henry was smiling widely at him, cheeks all puffed out and rosy red. Damn, he looked happy.

"Dad!" he shouted. 

"Who's your friend there, buddy?" he questioned, nodding to the guy beside him. While he was happy seeing him all smiley and such, he really needed to figure out this guy's deal. Something about him really got under his skin. It really wasn't a threatening feeling, just-just electrifying. Foreign. Yeah, that was one way to put it.  Kinda like that feeling you get when you watch thunderstorms, when one could almost feel it on you skin, and one was both terrified and excited by it. What was with this guy? He not only managed to catch Henry's attention but now his as well.

"Dad, this is..." he started to say then got really wide eyed and mouth hanging open in shock. He turned around and addressed the man, "I don't know your name."

The guy laughed, this time loud, deep, and ringing--cutting straight through Dean. "I-it's C-Castiel," he breathlessly said. "I guess I forgot my manners for a moment," he chuckled then added, "my sister's probably cringing somewhere right now."

Henry giggled and stretched his right hand out, "I'm Henry." Dean could practically hear the smile in his voice. ' _Okay, he really, really likes this guy_ ,' Dean thought.

He took his hand and gave it a little shake, then release it with a little squeeze. "Nice to meet you, Henry."

Henry turned around to face Dean, pointing at him, "That's Dad."

"Nice to meet you too...Dad." he smirked at Dean.

"Har-Har. Very funny," Dean glared at him. A glare that quickly slipped off his face when he saw the glare Henry sent him. His kid was a traitor. He had completely lost him to this Castiel guy. And what kinda name was that? Who would be cruel enough to name their kid that? Dean left his cart and walked to stand behind Henry. His first attempt to reclaim his son. "It's Dean, actually," he said and extended his own hand. When they made contact the first thing that came to his mind was if a guy's hand was supposed to be that soft? He quickly released his hand when he realized he was holding on to it longer than necessary. He lifted Henry up and rested him on his left arm when Castiel addressed him.

"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you," he said and smiled. Dean noticed out of the corner of his eye that Henry gave a surprised expression that quickly morphed into a smile. Castiel also seemed to notice it, too, and winked at him. Dean really needed to find out what is going on here. Fast. "I hope you don't mind, but I commandeered Henry and hoped he would help me pick out some Poptarts." ' _Commandeered? Who even uses that word?_ '

"What's comendered, Dad?" Henry asked breaking him out of his thoughts.

He looked over at him. "It's 'commandeer,' and it mean to take control of, buddy." Henry made a little 'oh' and twisted in his arm to look at the shelves.

"I can see why he likes you," he looked at Castiel. "He has a really soft spot for Poptarts, and anyone else who's obsessed as he is."

"And he saved me from Mrs. Jenson," Henry quickly added. Dean eyebrows met his hairline, and he looked at Castiel who just laughed.

"I just reminded her that she has more important things to worry about," he stated. Now, Dean's impressed. It wasn't an easy feat to get away from her when she started talking or she's on a mission.

"Which was exactly?" Dean pressed. He needs to know. Maybe he can use it next time.

"I told her, her melons were going to go bad if she doesn't get them out of the warm air," he explained. Dean blinked. Castiel's eyes got comically wide and he quickly amended his statement, "her watermelons, not that!" He then shuddered. "God, not that." Dean bellowed, startling Henry. He was laughing so hard that anyone near by could hear--hell, maybe the entire store. He was clutching his stomach and failing miserably to regain composure. Castiel groaned and sagged his shoulders in defeat then brought his hands up to cover his face. "I don't think I can show my face here any longer." This only prompted Dean to laugh louder.

"D-dude...s-stop...c-can't take a-anymore," Dean stammered out. He then tried to tried to slow his breathing, hoping to stop laughing, but looking at Castiel's red cheeks and shy expression had him laughing all over again. He had to admit that Castiel seemed like an okay guy, and he totally walked into that one.

"I don't get what's so funny," Henry huffed out, crossing his arms over his chest and pouting. Henry was never one to like being out of the loop. He also didn't like not knowing things.

"I'm just surprised he got her to leave because of...watermelons," he lied then kissed his temple and chuckled at the groan Castiel let out. Henry didn't seem to believe, if his narrowed eyes are anything to go by, but didn't say anything.

"But seriously, you got her to leave because of watermelons?" he said, turning his face to him.

He ran his hand through the back of his hair and nervously chuckled. "Yeah... but I may have-um-lied to her." Then smiled shyly at them.

Once again, Dean' eyebrows met his hairline. "How?"

"Well, it wasn't a total lie. Fruits do tend to last longer in cooler air...and I simply told her she need to get home right away. It was purely selfish, she wouldn't stop talking about her garden and it was the first thing to come to mind." He smiled at Henry and added, "Now I'm kinda glad I did." Henry smiled back at him.

"I get it. I'm pretty sure she only does it because she likes hearing the sound of her own voice."

"Normally, I would happily listen, but I just couldn't."

"She has that effect on people."

"Hopefully,  I won't run into her again."

Dean groaned loudly and rest his head on the side of Henry's head and muttered into his hair, "Lucky you, I live across the street from her."

"Huh. That explains the look of sheer terror on Henry's face when he saw her," he said with a look of comprehension on his face, as if everything make perfect sense now. "And having met her, I can relate--wait, does she often hit you?"

"Every chance she gets," Dean said with a laugh.

"And pinches your cheeks, too," Henry venomously stated.

"Well, I happy she didn't pinch my cheeks," he said, arching an eyebrow at Dean. Dean chuckled and shook his head. The Jenson family would never receive any sense of love from the Winchesters. Ever.

Henry was about to say something else when they heard a ping sound. Castiel pulled out his phone and frowned at the screen.

"Sorry, but I have a meeting I have to go too," he frowned. Dean could tell that he really didn't want to leave, and, oddly enough, Dean didn't want him to. He was easy to talk to, and Henry obviously liked him. It was rare that they both like someone, but if the guy had to go then he had to go. He doubted they would meet again, even if it was a small town, and all.

"It's cool, dude. We totally understand."

"Wait! You still need to get your Poptarts!" Henry shouted then reached forward and picked up two boxes: Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough and Brown Sugar Cinnamon. "Here, this is me and Dad's favorite," he said and handed them to Castiel, who smiled and accepted them.

"Thanks, Henry," he said and put them in his basket. "It was nice meeting you both. Maybe we'll see each other around town sometimes."

"Nice meet you, too."

"Yeah, and thanks for getting rid of Mrs. Jenson," Henry happily said, eliciting a laugh out Castiel and his father.

"Goodbye then."

"Bye," the said in unison. Castiel smiled at them one last time and then walked past them. They turned around and watched him walk away. When he turned the corner, Dean looked at Henry.

"Well, that was interesting." ' _Weird, was more like it_ ,' he thought.

"I like him," he casually stated.

"I noticed that," Dean smirked. He liked him too. He seemed like he could be possibly be a friend. While it would be nice to get a friend, he really didn't need one; he was happy with the ones he had. It didn't really matter now. He highly doubted they would see him again. Besides, Henry would soon forget all about him.

"He's cool and nice. He didn't need to save me from Mrs. Jenson, but he did," he smiled at Dean.

"Yeah, he was."

"I can't wait to see him again to see if he liked the Poptarts," he said, grinning. Dean didn't have the heart to tell him that they may never see him again. For all he knew, this guy was just being polite and probably already forgot about them. He probably had more important things to do than talk with some kid. Hell, he was wearing a dress shirt here, and he was called to some meeting. He was obviously being nice to them. But anything was better than the pity stares they used to get. But there was no need for him to know any of this and break his little heart.

"Who knows, you might meet him sooner than you think," he said, putting as much optimism in his voice as he can.

"Dad?"

"What is it, buddy?" Dean questioned after seeing the shift in his son's mood--from happy to contemplative.

"Remember how you said how you felt when you met Aunty Charlie and Uncle Benny?" he asked in a quiet voice, head bowed.

"Yeah?" he said. He was really confused about where this was going, then it hit it. "You don't mean?"

"Yeah," he said sheepishly, looking up at him. Dean is shocked into silence.

Dean remembered the day he told him about how he met them. He was just learning about who he was blood related to and whom he wasn't. He explained that even though they weren't blood related, they were still family.Family was something you choose. They chose the people they wanted to include in their little family, and they loved them just as much as the loved the others. He told him about the first time he met Charlie and Benny, and how he felt that they were someone he would welcome into his family. They were people he wanted in his life. They had connected, and he knew they would grow to be important to him. His parents even told their stories about how they met the others and how similar their experiences were to Dean's. If Henry felt that way about this guy then he going to have a whole set of problems on his hands. Fuck. If he didn't see this guy again, he was going to be crushed. What if they did meet again and he didn't want anything to do with them? This was not something he could handle right now.

"Are you sure, buddy?" Henry nodded his head. "You could be wrong," he tried to reason. He left the whole 'you're a kid and don't have much experience' unsaid.  Henry shook his head this time.

"I'm sure," he defended, "I choose him." Fuck. "I think he could be one of us." Fuck. Fuck. He smiled widely at Dean, completely unaware of the inner turmoil his father is going through.

"Okay, buddy. Let finished getting the other stuff and head home." He silently prayed that he would forget about this. There were too many 'What ifs' surrounding this guy, and he would rather have him forget than have his heart broken. 'Please, Henry, just let this go.'

~~~★~~~

Castiel couldn't help the smile on his face from the trip to the cashier and then to his car--his island gray 2013 Volkswagen CC. (The car was technically Baltazar, but was given to him as a going away present.)

Henry was one adorable little kid, with the cutest button nose and freckles. He could honestly see why Mrs. Jenson couldn't help but pinch his cheeks. And to top it all off he was well mannered. He couldn't remember the number of kids he babysat that felt they could do what they want and never said a 'thank you' for anything.

When his father showed up, he was perfectly calm. Most kids would have have been bouncing in place or run off to do something, but he looked more than happy to be in his father's arms. And speaking of fathers. He was surprised his knees didn't buckled when he first laid eyes on him. Dean was like sex on fire. The way his gray t-shirt hugged ever part of his upper body, leaving very little to the imagination of what was underneath. His perfectly styled  extremely light-brown hair that had him wanting to run his hands through them to see if they were as soft as they looked. His chiseled jaw and five o'clock really cut right through him. He, more than once, wondered how it would feel rubbing against his neck.God, he wondered how it would feel everywhere else.

When they had first made eye contact, he was ashamed that the first things to come to his mind were grass and clovers. They were the only green things his brain could come up with after being short-circuited, and even those thing weren't as bright as his eyes were. When he started talking and his low voice made it to his ears, he was pretty sure if he was looking at him Dean would have definitely seen his pupils dilated. The things he could imagine that voice saying to him we--he abruptly stopped a few inches from his car trunk.

"What the fuck are you doing, Castiel?" he breathed out.

He was thankful that there was no-one in the parking lot. No-one needed to see him talking to himself. Better yet, he was gracious that there were no one around to see him freak out. He had promised himself that he wouldn't crush on straight guys. They only lead to heartache and time wasted. Dean was as straight as they came. He lived in Kansas for fuck's sake. He practically reeks of inborn heteronormative-ness. Everything about him screamed 'jock,' the same ones who made a good chunk of his life a living nightmare.

He probably drinks a ton of beer with his friends and wolf whistled at any attractive woman that pass buy. He probably had the whole 'Apple Pie life:' a wife, two point five kids, a dog, and white picket fence.

' _Did he have a wedding ring?_ ' he wondered as he open his trunk and loaded his groceries. He then closed it with too much force and flinched back. He was getting increasingly annoyed with himself for not noticing and potentially fantasizing about someone's husband. A husband with the most adorable kid, that went grocery shopping with said kid, and lit up when his kid smiles. Fuck. He needed to stop thinking about this. This move was suppose to be a good change for him, not for him to go around being infatuated with some guy with his son right there. He groaned and sagged in utter despair and hastily stomped his way to the drivers side. He got in and collapsed on the seat. He groaned again and rest his head on the steering wheel.

"Some people shouldn't be allowed to be that pretty," he sighed. He pushed himself up reluctantly and tiredly went about buckling his seatbelt. He really didn't need to be with someone right now. He was suppose to be making a life for himself on his own. He should be focusing on himself. He should be getting comfortable with his own life before he brought someone else into it. And he most certainly needed to stop attaching himself to people that quickly. They left as quickly as they came. It didn't matter, he would probably never see them again, and maybe that was for the best. Even though he wouldn't see Henry again.

~~~★~~~

Henry didn't let it go. For the past two days, he would constantly look over his shoulders hoping to catch a glimpse of Castiel. His whole face would light up whenever he saw someone with dark brown hair, and literally shatter to pieces when they turned out not to be him. Dean had caught him more than once looking out the living room window with a sad look on his face. Everytime he would lie and say that he just liked looking outside, but Dean knew better. If they cuddled up more frequently, it was because  Dean wanted to, and not that he needed it. He thanked his lucky stars his family hadn't been over this week. He didn't know what he would say to them. How would he explain his son's interest in this guy, when he himself couldn't grasp it himself?

Dean knew only three days have passed since they saw him, but he had hoped he would have forgotten about him or at least lose some interest in this guy. It would appear that this guy made more of an impression on Henry in that short time than he realized. Talking to him was no help either since he refused to accept that he wouldn't see him again. He even tried telling him that he might not even like any of them, but Henry just told him that he would, and he was sure of it. He was at his wit's end. One part of him wanted to see this guy just to put his son out of his misery. Even if this guy wanted nothing more to do with them, he was willing to handle the heartbreak if it meant that he could stop obsessing and finally move on. The other part of him wanted to punch him or get his hands around his neck for doing this to his son--granted, this wasn't technically his fault, but still.

Now on his day off, he's taking Henry to their favorite diner for breakfast to cheer him up.

"Cheer up, buddy, we're here," he said as he parked the car in front of the diner. Henry just shrugged his shoulder and looked back out the window. He was all gloomy, no trace of the normal excitement he would have when coming here. It was slowly breaking Dean's heart. He sighed and got out the car. He got to his side and quickly got him out. The sooner the get inside the sooner he could perk up. Dean tried really hard to ignore the little sweep of the parking lot Henry did when he put him on ground. He also chose to ignore the stabbing pain in his heart when his shoulders sagged. Dean couldn't tell whom this was killing more--him or Henry? Who was falling apart faster?

Henry moved closer to him and clutched at his pants legs. Yeah, Dean was definitely the one falling apart faster. He moved forward with Henry still holding on. He open the door and waited for Henry to step in.

Amber, the new teenage waitress who was saving money for a new guitar, smiled at them.

"The usual?" she said, arching an eyebrow at them. Dean nodded and looked down at Henry was standing still, jaw slack, with a deer caught in headlights expression.  Dean followed his line of sight and could feel his own sense of shock overcome him.

There sitting at the last table of the diner was Castiel. He was focused intently on what he was writing with papers scattered on every inch of the table. He was wearing a white buttoned up shirt with the sleeves rolled up, and his hair was still a mess. His face was stoic, void of all emotion, while he just furiously wrote away. He was completely unaware of what his presence was doing to the two Winchester facing him. The very person that was plaguing their lives just continued writing.

"CASTIEL!" Henry howled, having being the first of them to recover. Dean would have laughed when Castiel, and pretty much everyone around them, jumped out their skin, but he was too busy drowning in own his relief. Henry started running the same time Castiel's head whipped up to see who called his name. Dean was able to see how the shocked expression on Castiel's face morphed to fondness the closer Henry got to him. Dean didn't know that was the reaction he was wishing for, until it happened. He didn't know what he would have done if this guy was somehow bothered by Henry. He could guarantee, though,  that it wouldn't have been pretty. He made him a morosed sack of flesh and bones these three day, so he better be damn happy to see him. Dean quickly trailed his son, who seemed to be content with just smiling at Castiel.

"Hello, Henry," Castiel smiled, having figured out Henry wasn't going to say anything.

"You remembered my name?" he gasped. Castiel chuckled.

"Well, you are too adorable to forget," Castiel said with amusement lighting up his insanely blue eyes. Dean quickly sucked in a breath and waited for the rebuttal to come, but it never did. Apparently, his son was too happy to even care. Castiel turned to Dean and greeted him with a simple, "Hello, Dean." And there was that electric feeling again when they looked at each other.

"Hey, Cas," he responded because staring wasn't an adequate response. Castiel's eyebrows came together in confusion and Dean quickly backtracked. "I-I mean Castiel. Your name's kinda weird-I mean d-different and I-Sorry." Castiel barked out a laugh.

"It's fine, Dean. 'Cas' is fine. It get it, my name is..peculiar. It's certainly better than what my brothers call me," he said, rolling his eyes. Dean wasn't really sure if it was directed at him or those brothers of his.

"What do they call you?"

"No," he said, shaking his head. "No. No. No." Henry started giggling next to him and Cas shot him a smile.

"It can't be that bad." Cas shot Dean a pointed look as if to say, "wanna bet." This time it was Dean's turn to laugh. "Okay. Okay. I'm going to let that one go."

"What are you doing here?" Henry asked while getting into the chair next to Cas

"Henry-" Dean tried to say because you can't just invite yourself to someone's table.

"I didn't feel like making breakfast and came here," he said, not even put out that Henry practically invited himself. "I normally just stay in, but didn't feel like it today," he shrugged his shoulders, "and I'm glad I did." He nudged his shoulder with Henry's and then winked at him.

Henry smiled and looked down, but not before Dean caught the blush on his cheeks. Dean was really in trouble now: there were very few people that could get away with making him blush. He could worry about that later because right now his son was looking better than he had for days now.

Henry's head shot up, and he turned to Cas. "Did you like the Poptarts?"

"I did. I tend to avoid the Brown Sugar Cinnamon, but I was pleasantly surprised that I liked it. Quite a lot, actually," he truthfully said. Or as truthful as Dean could tell.

"Really?" At Cas's nod, he continued, "That's awesome! That's Dad's favorite, 'cause he said it reminds him of pie. Dad really likes pie. We have pie every week, and sometimes two times if we go over the Grandma and Grandpa. Sometimes Aunt Jess makes pies and Aunt Andrea but never Aunt Charlie. Dad said it's 'cause she can't bake, but she likes telling people it's because she not patient enough to bake. I believe her, but Dad doesn't. He laughs when I tell him that. I don't why he laughs? Uncle Sammy doesn't like pie. He says it has bad sugar in it. Can sugar be bad? Most of the time, Dad tells him to shut up and eat his rabbit food. Rabbit food isn't only carrots--don't ever believe that. Where was I? Oh, yeah. It's also lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, and some other really ucky green stuff. Wait. Do you like pie? I can ask-"

"Buddy, breathe!"

"-Grandma to make you one." At the end of his little rant, he was red in the face and his breathing was ragged. He was taking shallow breaths to calm himself down. Cas on the other hand was just blinking at him, a blank look on his face. He continued to slowly blink at him. He turned to Dean and narrowed his eyes at him.

"You laughed at him because he believed his aunt to be impatient rather than inept at baking?" Now it was Dean's turn to blink. Out of that entire speech, that was the part he was focused on? Dean was laughing before he even realizes, while Cas and Henry stared at him.

"See! I don't know why he does it!" he said, pointing emphatically at him.

"I-I'm s-sorry...but...he just blurted o-out like four family memebers...and you p-pick that?" he forced out through his laughing fit.

"Well, It's just-I mean-um-yes?" he said, uncertain. Dean was about to respond when Amber came up from behind him.

"Dean?" she said. He quickly turned around to face her. She was holding a cup of coffee in one hand and a glass of orange juice in the other. "I was wondering where you guys are going to sit?" Her eyes were flickering from his face to the two people behind him. Her gaze lingered longer on Henry, sitting next to Cas, than him. 

"You guys can sit here," Cas said and started frantically gathering up the papers scattered on the table. Dean turned to face him as he was picking up randon papers and putting them in a pile.

"No. We don't want to-"

"No, it's okay."

"We don't want to disturb you from doing your work." ' _Or more than we're already doing_ ,' he thought.

"No, I could use the distraction. "

"You sure?" he said, trying to ignore the pleading looks Henry was sending his way.

"Absolutely."

"Okay, then." He pulled out the chair opposite Henry, and sat down. This earned a pleased smile for the both of them. Amber came to the side of the table and put down the cup and glass she was holding. She had an amused smile on her face. He guessed that this was sort of amusing, but she seemed way too amused by all of it. And she kept shooting sly glances at Cas as if she knows something but was going to refrain from telling.

"Okay," she clapped her hands together,"would it be okay if I brought your food with their orders?" Cas nodded his head, and he took a sip of his own coffee. She smiled brightly at him and cheerfully walked away, humming a really familiar tune to herself. A tune that had Cas choking on his coffee and had Henry furrowing his eyebrows together in confusion. Dean wasn't not sure if he was trying to place the song or if he was confused as to why she was singing it.

Dean arched an eyebrow at Cas. "What was that about?"

"I don't know. Does she normally act like that? I mean this is my first time here," he said. Dean knew he wasn't really trying to answer his question, just poorly deflecting. He narrowed his eyes at him. He didn't understand why he wouldn't just answer the question? It wasn't really complicated. "I mean, she doesn't seem like the type to randomly start humming." He brought his cup to his mouth again and took a long drink.

"This is your first time here?" Henry asked before Dean could press the issue further. Dean looked at his son, but, out of the corner of his eye, he noticed how Cas's stiff shoulders relaxed a little. He made a mental note to return back to this or just ask Amber what she was humming.

"Yes," he said, putting down his cup. "I moved here a little over a week ago, and this is my first time eating out."

"You moved here? From where?" Dean couldn't help that his own stiff shoulders were relaxing. His son was his old smiling self again. He couldn't help but melt a little at the unadulterated joy in his eyes. ' _What is it that his son sees in this guy? Why does he like this guy so much?_ '

"I used to live in Illinois."

"Where's that?"

"It's-hold on," he said. He reached into his pants pocket and pulled out his black iPhone. "Just one moment," he murmured while typing away at his phone. "Ah," he said after a few seconds, "Here we are." He scooted closer to Henry and showed him his phone screen. "Here is Kansas," he pointed out, "right next to it is Missouri, and right next to that is Illinois."

"That's so cool," he said, voice filled with awe, "and it's not that far."

"It's takes anywhere from seven to eight hours to drive from here to where I used to live."

"That's a lot!" he exclaimed, looking worried.

"It's not that bad, Henry," he chuckled. "If you're accustomed to long car rides, then it's no problem." He reached over a ruffled his hair. Henry beamed at him. Dean, who was looking on, couldn't help but stare in awe. Henry was slowly melting on the inside by this guy. His own insides were soon filled with dread. How was he suppose to befriend this guy? Henry obviously didn't want to let him go now that he found him again. He needed to think of a way to get this guy to want to hang out with them without sounding like a creeper. "Hey, do you want to know something interesting?" Cas inquired, breaking Dean from his train of thought.

"Yeah," he replied, nodding his head vigorously.

"There's a county in Illinois that's called Lawrence."

"That's awesome," he excitedly said then made a confused face, tilting his head, "what's a county?"

"You know how every state has their own borders?" He nodded. "Well, every state also divides the land they control into counties-"

"Why?" he interjected.

"There are too many people living in any particular state to govern and more often than not they are separated. Counties were created so the government can have an easier time looking after everyone. And each count has their own little government to make sure everyone's happy. I used to live in the Livingston county in Illinois."

"Are we in a county?"

"Lawrence is in the Douglas county area." Henry turned accusatory eyes on Dean, as if he was purposely withholding this information from him. Cas on the other hand was biting his lips, trying to not laugh at him. _Thanks a lot_.

"So, is there a specific part of Illinois that your from?" Dean asked, purposely ignoring Henry's narrowed eyes. That kids just loved information, and Dean was  probably going to be reprimanded later for not telling him this.

Cas quirked the side of his mouth up a little, clearly amused with Dean's discomforted before responding with a simple "Pontiac."

"Never heard of it."

"Hmm. That's not surprising; it's an extremely small town. Besides, most people are only interested in visiting Chicago."

"That makes sense," he agreed. "Why did you move here then?" He smirked at him, "Wanted a taste of the city life?"

"Lawrence is hardly a bustling metropolis," he laughed. "I got a job offer, actually." He straightened himself up and looked passed Dean. "Ah. Here comes our waitress." Dean could have sworn that his face closed off a little. It was a little odd, but by the way Amber was acting earlier, he'll just let it go--for now.

"Alright. Here we are." She stood at the end of the table with a tray balancing three plates. "Chocolate-chip pancakes for the littlest Winchester--" she put it in front of Henry, "--and a little pitcher of maple syrup because your dad will kills us if we put too much on your pancakes." She also put that down and smiled at him, then turned to Dean. "Sausage, eggs, bacon, and hash browns for daddy Winchester." She made a disgusted face at his plate and put it down. Damn, Vegetarians. "And," she said now facing Cas, "blueberry pancakes for the stranger in town." He reached forward for the plate not wanting her to have to stretch across the table. "Enjoy, guys!" And then she turns and happily walked away, no humming this time.

"Dad?" Henry said, staring down at his plate. A plate that had an uncut stack of pancakes. Dean reached forward to cut them, but Cas beat him to it.

"Cas-"

"It's fine, Dean, and much simpler this way," he defended his action.

"Okay then," he sighed and started eating. He did pour the syrup when Cas finished cutting because Henry would pour the whole pitcher on his pancakes. Cas didn't start eating right away. He gracefully folded his napkin and placed it on his lap then he started digging in. Even then, he cut his pancakes with great precision, and not once resting his elbows on the table. Dean looked at himself and Henry, who both hand their elbows on the table and viciously stabbing at their food. Okay, they weren't actually viciously stabbing it but compared to Cas, they might as well be. He was sitting straight up, spine aligned, shoulders apart. He looked extremely regal. Right now everything about him screamed money. He could probably be some CEO for all he knew. How in the world was he supposed to get this guy to want to get to know them?

Cas's head snapped up and he turned to look at Dean. "Winchester?" Dean slowly nodded, unsure where this is going. And slowly nodding was better then freaking out that you were caught staring at the guy. "As in Winchester-Singer?" Thank God, he wasn't called out on his staring.

He nodded again. "Yeah. You heard of it?" It wasn't a really fair question since the shop was pretty well known.

"Grandpa and Grandpa Bobby owns it," Henry stated, "and Daddy works there."

"Oh. I drove past it yesterday and was actually planning on taking in my car for a check-up on Friday."

"What model is it?"

"A 2013 Volkswagen." Yep, he was definitely a CEO.

"Nice car," he whistled.

"Thanks. It was actually my brother's. He gave it to me as a going away present," he rolled his eyes, but there was a fond smile on his face.

"Alright, bring it in and I'll take a look."

"Thanks."

"Dad's really good with cars," Henry praised.

"Really?" Cas teased.

"Yeah! He fixed his own car and says he's gonna teach me when I get older," he grinned at Cas. "Are you good with Cars?"

Cas laughed. "Sadly, no. I'm terrible with Cars."

"Maybe Daddy can teach you." Dean was immensely grateful he wasn't eating anything right now because the outcome wouldn't have been pretty.

"That's kind of you, Henry, but I would be a terrible student," he said, clearly feeling just as uncomfortable as Dean was. "Machines aren't really my area, books are."

"Books?" asked a confused Henry.

"I study Mythology and folklore," he said then got a thoughtful look on his face. "Well I guess I can now say I teach Mythology and folklore as well." Okay, so not a CEO.

"What's that?"

"They are basically stories that people long ago used to explain how certain things came into existence." At Henry's still confused expression he elaborated. "Some of them talk about mystical creatures, like dragons, werewolves, vampires, and such."

"Oh! Like 'Dark Ages!'" he excitedly proclaimed.

"What?" Cas looked like he was just slapped in the face. He had that look you get when a long time best friend slapped someone and one didn't know how to process anything. Like one couldn't believe they did that, and one had no idea how to go from there.

"It's this game that two of my friends are obsessed with," Dean jumped in, "that has a lot of myths and urban legends in it. I guess he made the connection. Somewhat." He then feebly laughed after that.

"Oh, yes, like that. The exception is that I just teach people how those people and creature came into being rather than fight them," he tightly said. Part of Dean wanted to believe that he was insulted, but a bigger part of him thought he was more embarrassed for some reason. 

"That really awesome. Who do you teach the stories to?" he said, eagerly inching closer to Cas.

"College students, mostly. That's the reason I left the store early. My job offer was at the University of Kansas, and my boss wanted to go over everything with me before I start teaching this fall."

"You're a college professor?" Dean asked incredulously. Cas nodded his head. "Wow. So do you live like close to the campus then?"

Cas sighed and lowered his head. "I live on Haskell Street."

"What?"

"I know. I know. It isn't exactly the safest place in Lawrence, but people really aren't that trusting of the newcomer here," he said defeatedly. He knew all too well about that. He has seen it with all his friends and family that moved here. While Lawrence wasn't an extremely small town, the people here tended to stick close to those they knew and were wary of outsiders. The rest of his family had it easier, because people knew the Winchesters, but it still took some time for them to get use to the others. It took Benny a little over a month to get a proper place for him and Andrea. He could only imagine how much harder it must be for Cas.

"I know all about it," he admitted, and Cas raised his head to look at him. "My best friend, Benny, had a hard time getting a place when he first moved here."

"And it doesn't help that I'm basically a shut-in."

"Are you okay, Cas?" Henry asked, worried.

Cas reached forward and ran his fingers through the hair on the left side of his head, and smiled softly at him. Dean's breathing hitched at how lovingly he did that. "I'm okay, just a little frustrated. Finding a new place to live in is a more difficult that it seems."

"You can stay with us!" he shouted, his little body filled with complete joy. "It's just me and Dad, and we have extra rooms!" Dean wasn't so lucky this time and choked on the bacon he was eating. Cas burst out laughing--a laugh that was so close to hysteria.

"You're the sweetest kid, Henry," he said when he managed to regain composure. "But I'm going to have to say no. It won't be that long until I find a new place, and moving now wouldn't make much sense."

"Okay," he said dejectedly while sagging his shoulders and looking like a kicked puppy.

"Henry," Dean said, "he's right, it won't take that long, and it would be pointless to move now."

"Okay," he said but still sounded depressed.

"I did mean it though, you are the sweetest kid," he said and ruffled his hair for good measure. Henry smiled back at him, all his disappointment forgotten.

"Why don't you finish you pancakes before they get cold, bud," Dean said, still thinking about how affectionate Cas was with Henry, and how well Henry seemed to respond to it. 

"Okay," he said and went back to happily munching on his pancakes.

The two adults went on to eating their breakfast at a more troubled state. Dean was still reeling from how Henry went from barely know this guy to flat out asking him to move in with them. The crazy part about this was that a tiny part of him didn't object to this. The guy was really patient with Henry, and Henry just opened up to him. The only people he had ever seen Henry ramble to was his family, and after one meeting with this guy, he already doing it. Dean kinda like him, too. For some odd reason, he was easy to talk to, and on both occasions that they had met, he was able to make him laugh. He shook his head. He was overthinking this. Cas wasn't moving in with them. What he needed to focus on right now was getting this guy to like them, so he could see if Henry was right about him being good for their family.

Pretty soon they were all finished eating, and getting the check. When Amber put the check down, Cas reached into his pocket for his wallet, but Dean had his out faster and paid for them.

"Dean, you didn't have-"

"Yeah, I did," he said, "we kinda hijacked your breakfast, so it's the least I can do."

"You didn't hijacked anything, and I enjoyed you and Henry's company, so thank you."

He got up and out of his chair. "No problem, Cas. So, I guess I'll see you on Friday?"

"Yes."

"Bye, Cas," Henry said, launched forward and hugged Cas.

"Bye, Henry." He ruffled his hair for the last time when he let him go.

Henry got up and ran over to Dean and held onto his hand. "Bye, Cas," Dean said.

"Bye, Dean."

They then turned and walked way, neither one noticing the sad and longing looks Cas was sending their way. And it wasn't until Dean was halfway home when he remembered he didn't asked Amber what she was humming.

~~~★~~~

"What the hell are you doing here, Sasquatch?" 

"Well, hello to you, too, Dean," Sam drawled, walking up to an oil and grease covered Dean Winchester.

"Seriously, Sam, don't you have work today?" he asked. ' _Are lawers allowed to take days off?_ ' he wondered.

"Termites."

"What?"

"My office building has a termites infestation, and the whole building is being fumigated today," he shrugged like it was no big deal.

"Let me get this straight. You're office is being fumigated because of termites, and you have a day off, and you decided to come here?" he said disbelievingly.

"Well, my wife's at work--you know? Saving lives--and I'm bored at home, so I decided to come see my second favorite person," he sheepishly said.

"Sam," Dean sighed. He couldn't have asked for a better brother. For all their faults, they were as close as brothers could be.

He clapped his hands together and looked like a kid about to see his childhood hero. "So, where is he?" 

_ What_ . 

Then it hit him.

"Fuck you, Sam. Fuck you." He tried to hit him with his dirty towel, but Sam dogged it.

"Seriously, a little birdy told me that he's here today," he chuckled.

"He's in the back with the rest of them," he said, pouting.

"Come on, Dean. You know you will always be my sixth favorite person." He ran through the door connecting the waiting room and workshop before Dean could say anything, loudly laughing all the way.

"Bitch," Dean groaned and followed him. When he got there, Sam already had Henry propped up on one arm. Bobby, his dad, Benny, and Charlie all flocked around him. Henry was talking animatedly, most likely filling in Sam, and the rest by extension, on everything that he missed since he last saw him. Dean was surprised that he had yet to utter a single word about Cas. He had assumed he would have wanted to brag about his new friend but not a word out of him. It was almost like Cas was a secret or worst--he wanted Cas for himself. And Dean didn't need to be dwelling on that right now. Better yet, he didn't think he could handle that right now.

"Hey, buddy. Why don't you get you get your grandpa a bottle of water?" said Bobby. Henry nodded his head and squirmed in Sam's arm until he put him down. He ran past Dean and into the waiting room. Sam sent a tiny glare Bobby's way. Bobby just shrugged his shoulders, not even sorry he interrupted their little bonding session.

"Sam, are you planning on helping out or are you just here for Henry?" their father asked, causing a string of laughter.

"I don't know what's funny," Dean said as he walked up to them. "We're going to need the help since we barely got anything done." They were all just as bad as Sam. Since they got here this morning, they had done nothing but doted on Henry. He would have felt terrible but he couldn't deny them this. Besides, Henry refused to stay at home if Cas was going to be here today. Dean was just going to blame all this on Cas. Yeah, totally blaming it on Cas.

"It's your own fault for bringing him," Charlie singsonged. "Which is why exactly? Not that I'm complaining."

"I already told you, he really wanted to be here, and I couldn't for the life of me tell him no." Okay, maybe Henry wasn't the only one that had yet to mention Cas. How exactly did one explain their son's strange pull to a complete stranger to their family? A complete stranger who would eventually show up here at some point. He was willing to put good money on the fact that once he got here, Henry was going to want his undivided attention--something none of his family is going to miss. Hopefully, they would be too heartbroken by the loss of attention to question him why his son was attached to a complete stranger. That wasn't going to happen, but a guy could hope. Right?

"What taking him so long?" Bobby asked.

"I'll go check on him," Dean said. "Probably got distracted by something."

"I'll come with you," Sam said. Dean rolled his eyes. ' _Let the doting begin_ ,' he thought.

"Fine."

When they stepped into the waiting room, Dean turned around and arched a brow at Sam. "You helping or..." he started to say but trailed off at the stunned face Sam was sporting. "What?"

"Who the hell is Henry talking to?" he asked in shock.

Dean whipped his head around around with lightening speed, and--oh, Cas was here. He was in a sea green short-sleeved buttoned up shirt--because, of course it was a buttoned up shirt-- black khakis shorts and black low-top sneakers. Dean had to admit he looked pretty good. He also admitted he should probably explain why his son was hopping in place and talking the ears off of some guy. A guy that was smiling fondly at him, not even caring that he was rambling on a mile a minute. Dean, being the great communicator that he was, didn't.

Sam, however, did come to his rescue. He cleared his throat and that got their attention.

"Dad! He's here!" squealed Henry, wearing a smile as big as the moon. Right now, he was just one big ball of glee like Christmas came early this year.

"I can see that, buddy," he nervously chuckled, trying to ignore a spluttering Sam, and the footsteps that suddenly stopped..

"Hello, Dean." ' _This is going swimmingly_ ,' he thought..

"Hey, Cas." Just perfect. He had really hoped he would have some more time to think of how to introduce Cas, but when had the universe ever been fair.

"Come on, Cas," Henry demanded, pulling Cas by the hand and steering them closer to the stunned group of people in front of them. They came to an abrupt stop in front of Dean, and Henry shot him an impatient glance. "Dad, you're in the way."

"What?" Because what else was he supposed to said when his son pretty much demanded that he move.

"Everybody needs to meet Cas." It wasn't the other way around. Everyone needed to meet Cas, not Cas needed to meet everyone. Now Dean got why he didn't mention him before. He wanted to have the actual living being here for him to brag about him. Did he think the others wouldn't believe him, or did he really want them to meet this guy in person?

"Oh," he breathed out. He was sure he was the only one breathing right now. He didn't need to look back to know that his family was pretty much fish out of water right now. He could relate. He did eventually move to the side, so that Henry could introduce his new friend.

"Cas, this is Uncle Sammy, Grandpa, Grandpa Bobby, Uncle Benny, and Aunt Charlie," he excitedly said, pointing from one to the other. "This is Cas!" He was beaming at them now, and Dean could see everyone's eyes widened a fraction.

"Hello. It's Castiel, actually, but Dean and Henry calls me Cas. It's pleasure to meet you all," he smiled at them, "Henry certainly likes talking about you guys."

Charlie was the first to snap out of her dazed state and approached Cas. "It's nice to meets you, Cas." She extended her arm and shook Cas's hand when he offered his. "I would say the same to you, but Henry and Dean hasn't said a word about you," she said, narrowing her eyes at Dean, who shifted uncomfortably under her piercing gaze. That girl could be scary when she wanted to be.

"He hasn't said much thought, but he did mention your lack of patience when baking," he said uncertained, like he wasn't sure if Henry was correct, or if he should bring it up. Charlie blinked at him once them braked out a laugh.

"What do you know about that?" she grinned at him.

"I know Dean told him it because you can't bake and you tell people it's because you're impatient," he grinned back, "and that Dean laughed everytime he defended you."

"What do you think?"

"I'm going to have to trust Henry on this one."

"Smart man," she said, and they were both widely grinning at one another. Henry had his head rotating from one face to the next, joy evident on his face. Cas seemed to be making friends, and Henry couldn't be happier. Dean was just afraid he was going to pop. 

Sam was the next to step forward, and did the same action as Charlie. "He said anything about me?" he said with a raised eyebrow.

Cas nonchalantly shrugged his shoulders and quirked the side of his mouth. "Not much, just pie hater and rabbit food eater." Sam just gawked at him. Cas reached down and ruffled Henry's hair while Henry smiled right back at him.

"I don't hate pie," Sam defended.

"I don't know. Henry seemed to think so. He also didn't seem too open to the fact that you said it had 'bad sugar' in it."

"I-I don't hate pie," he said, looking at Henry now, who narrowed his eyes, looking at him suspiciously. Sam just turned back look at Cas.

"Like father, like son," Cas shrugged, and everyone had to laugh at that. Dean had to admit that maybe Henry was right. Cas seemed to be getting along with his family.

"So, how do you know Dean and Henry here?" Bobby gruffed out. Dean could always count on Bobby to be the overprotective grandfather.

"Henry and I met at Eckan's last Sunday," he responded, looking straight into Bobby's eyes. Dean had to give him credit for not being intimidated by him. He would have flinched under the look Bobby was giving him. "Then we saw each other at a diner on Wednesday, and I mentioned I was coming here today." Bobby turned his razor sharp gaze onto Dean--he did infact flinch--and raised a questioning eyebrow. He nodded his head to confirm what Cas was saying was true. But that only got him to intensify his gaze. He had a lot of explaining to do, just not right now or here for that matter.

"Are you sure it was last Sunday because he seems pretty..." his father trailed off, shifting his attention from Cas' s face to Henry's. Dean knew where he was going with this. He was going to comment how attached Henry was, and Dean got it. For some odd reason, Henry really liked this guys. They barely knew each other, but Henry fell fast.

"Yeah," Cas replied, tilting his head to the left to signal his confusion. Dean knew that they all caught the little quirk. It was the one thing they both had in common; it was something they both never failed to do when they were confused. 

"Okay, then," Dean clapped his hands together. "I'm pretty sure Cas came here to get his car checked out, and we really should get back to work." They all pointedly looked at him, clearly seeing what he was trying to do. He was going to explain this to them, just not with the guy in the same building. "Henry, why don't you go with grandpa and see that he gets a good spot for Cas, okay?" Henry nodded his head and ran passed them. "Um...you guys better go follow him. I'm-I'm going to show Cas where he has to take his Car. Come on, Cas." He quickly announced, steering Cas out the door before anyone could say anything.

"Hey, Cas?" Dean said, and stopped walking towards Cas's car. Cas sensing that he stopped also stopped and turned around to face him.

"Yeah?" he said, and cue head tilt. ' _He goes nothing_ ,' Dean thought to himself.

"Did you find a place to stay yet?"

"Not as yet."

"Well, I was..um..thinking that...um...Henry's offer might not be...such a bad idea," he stammered out.

"What?" Dean steeled himself and took a deep breathe. ' _It's now or never_.'

"We do have the extra room and--"

"Dean," he said, cutting him off.

"No. Hear me out," he requested. "Where was I? Oh, yeah. So we have the extra rooms, and staying with us would be better than where you're staying right now. Trust me when I tell you that it's going to take some time for people around these parts to warm up to you." He stared at Cas intently to get him to understand the sincerity of what he was saying. "Even then, who knows if you'll find a good enough place. So, stay with us until you find a decent place. Plus, hanging out with us would help people warm up to you faster. And if you feel the need to repay us then, you can pay me for the time you stay with us."

Dean had come to the decision to ask Cas to stay with them after they came home from the diner. Henry was pumped up on energy and buzzing around the whole house. After seeing him depressed for the past few day, the chaos that came with his newfound source of energy was more than welcomed. He decided that maybe he owed it to the two of them to find out where this would go. Because it was more than obvious to him that Henry was not going to let this go. And frankly, if this guy made his son this happy  then he was someone that he wanted in their lives.

"Why?" Cas inquired, staring straight at him, almost as if he could see his soul if he looked closely enough.

"Well, for one, I have know a good number of people who had to do the whole fitting in thing, so I know what you're in for. Secondly, I can bet that you know no one in town?" At Cas's nod, he continued, "And since you don't start school for another two months, you probably won't have friends until then, so this is me helping you meet some new people. And thirdly, I don't know if you noticed, but my son's pretty attached to you, so you being a roommate wouldn't be a bad thing. I would never offer this if Henry didn't like you. He really likes you, and I don't want his heart to break if he can't see you as often as he would like. And you're a pretty okay guy. What do ya say?"

"Henry doesn't know about this?" He quirked an eyebrow.

Dean shook his head. "Didn't want to get his hopes up, and I figured if you said yes then it would be a little surprise for him."

"When were you planning on having this surprise?"

"Are you...?"

"Yes. I really like Henry as well and would like to get to know him. It would be unwise to say no when you offering to help a total stranger that nearly everyone has turned a blind eye to. So, yes, I accept you offer, and thank you."

"That's great. Henry's going to freak when he finds out," he grinned. He got him to say yes. Now he just had to convince his family that he was doing the right thing here. Judging by how happy they saw Henry earlier, he didn't think he has much convincing to do.

"In regards to payment, I will pay you for the time I spend with you, plus help pay utilities and help around the house."

"Cas-"

"It's a fair payment, considering everything that you are trying to do for me."

"Okay," Dean conceded. "When can you move in?"

"How about Sunday?" Both Dean's eyebrows met his hairline. "I may have put off unpacking since I got here, so most of my stuff is still in storage." He nervously chuckled and put a hand through the hair on the back of his head. "And I only have what I really need with me, so repacking wouldn't be a hassle."

"Okay, Sunday, then."

"Sunday."

"We better get your car looked after, so just make a left there and come around back."

"Okay." Dean straighten himself walked back inside to face his family. And like he expected, Charlie was the first to pounce, but what came out of her mouth was not what he expected.

"Cas is...dreamy." Everyone just stared wide eyed at her. "Okay, I amend my previous statement. Cas is hot as-"

"Charlie!" Dean cut her off because there was a three year old here whom he would very much like not to hear that word. ' _Wait. Where is he?_ '

"Should Gilda be concerned?" Sam asked, eyebrows drawn together.

"I'm gay, Sam. Not blind," she said, rolling her eyes.

"So...Cas?" Benny said because someone had to stay on track.

"Henry didn't say anything?" That was strange. He had assumed that now that they have met Cas he would want to talk about him.

"He said that Cas was his friend then went on his way to find a spot for Cas and is now waiting there with John and Bobby," Benny explained.

"Hmm. That's pretty much it. Cas is Henry's friend, and he should probably be around back by now." He rushed passed them, and into the workshop, where, just like he predicted, Cas was already here. Henry was talking to him and Cas was tentatively listening, oblivious to the plethora of looks the two older men were send his way.

"Come on, you can wait with me in the other room," Henry announced, once again pulling Cas with him. Cas happily went along with like it was perfectly normal to get dragged around by a three year old. He waved at everyone else and left with Cas in tow.

"Um..." his father said and then turned his sights on Dean.

"I'll explain later when the guy's not in the next room and can hear us." The promise of information seemed to have temper their need to press on--at least for the time being. And Dean went to work. 

Almost an hour later, Dean walked back in the waiting room to find Henry sitting sideways on Cas' s lap and making hand gestures. He turned to Charlie sitting at the front desk. Her eyes widened, and she shrugged while shaking her head. He better go get his son before he did something like nuzzle his head in the space between Cas's neck and shoulder, which, judging by the look on Cas' s face, wouldn't be an unwelcomed action. He was starting to realize how glad he was that Cas said yes.

"Hey, Cas," he said as he approached them. Cas's head shot up while twisted his body to look at him. Cas ended up turning his body more to face Dean, so that Henry wouldn't have a hard time looking at him. It would have been better if Henry got up, but Dean was starting to get that he didn't plan too--something Cas already figured out. "Car's all inspected. Everything's running fine, and we only had to change your oil." Cas looked relieved while Henry looked like someone just took his candy--which wasn't really  a bad analogy since Dean pretty much told him his new favorite toy had to go home.

"That's good to hear, so I'll..." he trailed off when Henry grabbed a fist full of his shirt and tightened his grip. He chose to ignore the panicked look Cas shot him and the not-so subtle gasp Charlie let out.

"Yeah, Charlie here will get you all settled," he said, noting how Henry's grip tightened with every word, and the betrayed look he was giving him. Either Cas was too shocked by him to notice Henry's grip or he was taking it like a man. "So, I'll see you on Sunday, yeah?" Since he was looking so intently on both their faces, he saw Cas's look of comprehension and Henry's mixed reaction: surprise, joy, and confusion.

"Yes...Sunday," he responded.

"Sunday?" Henry said, sounding confused, yet so hopeful.

"Yeah, buddy. I asked Cas if he wanted to hang out with this Sunday and he said yes." He chose not the hear the pen that hit the floor behind him. He had been doing that a lot lately--ignoring things.

"Really?" he asked but turned his head to face Cas, as if he only need his confirmation and not his own father's. Dean barely refrained from rolling his eyes--barely.

"Yeah," Cas smiled at him then took his index finger and started tickling him and making him giggle.

"Okay, buddy, time to get off Cas," he instructed, "he probably has important stuff do." He had packing to do, but Dean couldn't outright say that when one of the most nosiest person he knew was sitting right behind him.

"Yes, I do," he said then put an arm under Henry's legs and one behind Henry's back and scooped him up. He effortlessly pushed himself out the chair he was sitting in. He crouched down and gently placed Henry on his feet and straighten himself up. It was--well, it was graceful as fuck. Dean didn't even knew that was possible. Everyone he knew either grunted or made some form of protest when they did that, especially since he grew so much. His disbelief must have shown on his face and Charlie's, if the look on his face when he glanced behind Dean is anything to go by. "Years of babysitting," he sheepishly said. "Seen and done it all," he further elaborated. Charlie made an impressed sound behind him. He walked passed Dean and up to Charlie where she handed him the appropriate forms to fill out and received payment.

"Well, it was nice to meet you, Mr. Novak," she said, smiling sweetly at him. Dean knew better though.

"And you as well, Miss-"

"Bradbury. "

"Yes, Miss Bradbury."

"I'll walk you to your car," Henry announced and ran up to Cas, pulling his hand.

"Goodbye, Dean. Goodbye, Charlie," he waved before disappearing through the door.

"Okay, Winchester. Spill," she demanded, getting out of her chair. He ran past her, narrowly escaping her clutches. He made his way to the door, but stopping before he walked through.

"I'll explain later, preferably when Henry isn't here to hear us talking about him. "

"Okay, but I want all the details. I know there's something else that you're not telling me." He knew that she saw him flinch. She could always see right through him. He didn't know how, but she did.

"Okay. Fine," he said and took a step but stopped again. "Oh. And Charlie, Henry would really appreciate it if you didn't research the crap out of his new friend. We wouldn't want to scare him off because his aunt knows something she shouldn't have." He heard her groaned behind him, and he walked through the door, chuckling to himself.

He made it in time to see Cas pull out of the shop. Cas waved at Henry, who enthusiastically waved back and then drove away. No-one moved from their spot. They all just stood there looking at the spot where Cas's took off from. Henry was the first to turn around and--oh, he was pouting. Dean wasn't sure if his heart melted into a puddle of goo or cracked a little. On one hand, he was facing a kid that had the most adorable pout, and on the other hand, he was facing a kid whose time with his new favorite person was cut short. When he saw Dean, he raised both his arms up. Dean was pretty sure if his heart didn't crack before, it sure as hell did now. He was over there faster than the eye could see and scooping him up. Henry had his arms around his neck, and his face buried in the space between his neck and shoulders.

"Hey, buddy. How about you and I break for lunch?" he sadly asked, resting his cheek on the top of his head and slowly running one hand down his back. Henry didn't say anything, just nodded into his neck. Dean looked up the see the shattered look on everyone else's faces and sighed. "So, Henry and-"

"No, go," his father said, cutting him off.

He nodded his head, turned around, and walked back the way he came. He was pretty sure Charlie would spread the word around that he would tell them about Cas later. He was also sure that they probably wouldn't mention Cas now, seeing how disheartened Henry was.

It wasn't until he was half-way to his car that something new occurred to him. Fuck. He didn't get Cas's number. Fuck. He had to ask Charlie for it. Fuck. This was going to be a long day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song the waitress was humming was "Can You Feel The Love Tonight" from the Lion King.


	4. Parameter: Migration

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cas moves in and meets the rest of the family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Classes have officially started, so I don't know how often I will get to write, but I will try every chance I get. Bare with me. Hope you enjoy the chapter.

It was Saturday, and Castiel was freaking out.

The enormity of what he had accepted finally sunk in. He was going to live with some guy and his son. Okay, it wasn't that disastrous. From their little interactions, he was able to get a glimpse of what they were like and liked what he saw.

Dean was extremely devoted to his son. He saw this the first time he met them. He saw how happy he got when his son smiled. And even a blind man could see how utterly lost he was to that kid. He was letting him move in for his son's sake and not his. Seeing that did dangerous things to his heart that he couldn't handle.

Henry, on the other hand, was everything he could ever want in a child. He was clearly an intelligent kid. Not to mention that he was as cute as a button. He had a smile that could light up anyone's life--which, now that he thought about it, could be genetic. When he talked, he really got into what he was talking about, and you couldn't help but fall more in love with him.

Separately, they could tug at all his emotions, but together they tugged hard on all his heartstrings,tugged at all the things he wanted in life: a husband, a child--a family.

What really had him so worked up was that he said he would stay with them when they were pretty much what he wanted. How was he suppose live with them and not slip up? How would he be able to let go when the time came? How could he possibly stay in a straight man's house and act normal when all he wanted was push him against the nearest wall and slowly strip him--one piece of clothes at a time. He was about two seconds away from calling Dean--who called him last night--and telling that he appreciated the gesture, but it was completely unnecessary. Even through that would be far from the truth.

"Come on, Castiel. Calm down," he told himself as he looked at the boxes scattered around his living room, "you won't be able to make a rational decision like this." He sighed and ran his fingers though his hair. The next thing he knew, he was pushing boxes out of the way to get to his room. He was flinging himself onto his bed and reaching for his phone on the night stand. He was dialing, not even sure he getting the numbers right, and waiting. Three rings later and someone picked up.

"Cassie!" came a elated voice, and he both inwardly and outwardly came apart.

"Anael," he brokenly whispered.

"...oh, bluebird." And this was why he loved his twin sister. She just somehow knew how bad it was. He could feel her getting ready to clear her entire schedule just to console him.

"A guy offered me a place to stay...with him and his son," he said, fixing himself in an upright position with his legs crossed.

"And you said no," she said, "but you wanted to say 'yes,' and that's why you called."

"I...said yes."

"What!? Castiel!" she exclaimed, forcing him to move the phone away from his ear.

"That's why I called! I didn't truly realize what I was doing to myself when I accepted till now!" he shouted back. He was angry. But he wasn't at her. He was angry at himself for being stupid. "I'm sorry, I--"

"Oh, sweety," she fondly said, cutting him off.

"No," he miserably said, "you're suppose to be mad at me for yelling and doing foolish things, not comfort me."

"If you didn't want comforting then why did you call me? Why didn't you call Balthazar?" He groaned. "God knows, he's more than willing to call you out on your crap."

"I didn't call you. I just dialed, and it just happened to be you."

"Sure."

"Anna," he whined.

"What? You don't want me to comfort you. What do you want?" she replied. He could almost see the impatient and annoyed look she was giving him. He loved that about her. She never let him wallow in his misery. She made him face his problems even if he didn't want to.

"Help me," he pleaded.

"Tell me about them."

" _What?_ " She would always asked him what he though he should do then offer her opinion. This was entirely different.

"You just told me some guy asked you to move in. I can't exactly help if I know nothing about them."

"The father is gorgeous. I just want to get my hands all over him. And I want his hands all over me. The things I would let him do and say to me. Then there's son, who's the most adorable thing ever. He has the cutest buttoned nose and freckled cheeks. I really want just want to bake cookies with him, just to see how more adroable he'll be with flour on his nose." He sighed and slumped back, and rest his back against his headboard.

"..."

"Anna?"

"..."

"Anna, are you still there?" he questioned, wondering if she got disconnected.

"Jesus fucking Christ, Castiel! You can't say how much you want to fuck the father and bake cookies with the son in the same damn sentence!" she screeched through the line.

"But I--"

"Yes, you did," she shouted over him, "now I really get what going on here."

"What, then?"

"They're pretty much all your fantasies all wrapped up one, and that's why you freaking out. Everything you want, but can't have, is right in your face, and you said 'yes' to facing that everyday."

"Yeah," he defeatedly said.

"I said 'can't have,' becuase that wouldn't be this big of a problem if the guy was gay."

"Yeah."

"How do you know he's straight?"

"Anna," he whined and decided that lying down would make this much easier.

"What? You can't be quick to assume things," she stated.

"Trust me, Anna. He has no interest in men," he assured her. "And you seem to have forgotten the little fact that he has a son." He couldn't fault her for trying, but she hadn't seen Dean. She hadn't seen a oil and greased covered Dean in overalls.

"So? He doesn't have to be gay. He could be bisexual." He didn't need to see her to know that she was rolling her eyes.

"Anna, trust me. He's not into men," he reaffirmed. He heard her sigh over the line, and he knew he won.

"Fine. You still haven't told me about them--and that doesn't count, Castiel," she cut him off before he said anything,"--because all I'm getting is hot father and adorable son."

"The father's name is Dean, and he's wonderful," he moaned. "He's everything a father should be. You should really see them together. You can tell right away that his son is his whole world. When he looks at him it's like he's seeing everything he could ever want in life, and I can't blame him." He paused at looked out his door to the box sitting just past it. He sighed then continued. "Henry. He's perfect. He's smart, adorable, and can talk your ears off." He ran his fingers through his hair, and tuggged at it lightly. "A big part of me wants to hold him and never let him go. Curl my body around him, and block out all the things that could hurt him."

"Cas," his sister fondly sighed. She really got it. For as long as he could remember, he had a soft spot for children. It was one of the reason he fought so adamantly against being gay. If he accepted being gay then the chance of ever having kids was significantly less. 

"The really great thing about this is how affectionate he is with me. He lets me ruffle his hair, and the second time we met, he actually hugged me. Then the last time I saw him, he sat in my lap and went on about his teddy bear," he laughed. "It was really adorable, and he even had hand gestures to go along with his story."

"I bet it was. You always had a knack at charming the little rugrats," she mused. This earned a weak laugh out of him.

"It happened yesterday when I went to get my car checked out. Dean's family own the local car shop in town, and I took it there. When it was time to leave, Henry held on to my shirt. My heart skipped a beat then, and nearly burst when he tightened his grip," he reminisced. "When I did leave, he waved at me like usual, but you could tell from his eyes that it was tearing him apart on the inside. I wanted to stay but knew I had to pack." He sagged his shoulders and released a shaky breathe. "Maybe I should have stayed instead."

"Is that what you think?"

"I don't know," he said, frustrated. After a few seconds of silence, he continued, "We haven't told him yet; we tought it would have been a great idea to surprise him. Maybe it's for the best that we didn't tell him." He knew she heard the crack in his voice, and how broken he sounded.

"So, running away?" she said, sardonically.

"Anna," he squeaked, affronted. This wasn't the same, and she knew it. What he was doing now was saving them from doing something ill advised. They han't known each other than long, and he was going to find a new place soon enough. Better for them to not get too attached.

"Well, it's what you're doing."

"Anna, I'm not--" He didn't even try to masked the hurt in his voice.

"What about Henry?"

"What about him?"

"Judging by what you told me, he seemed pretty attached. What's going to happen when you just drop out of his life?" she asked.

"Anna, I'm not going to cut contact with him," he fiercly defended.

"Bullshit--"

"Anna!"

"The reason you're saying 'no' right now is because they are what you want but can't have, and you don't want to be around that. What makes you think you would want to stay in contact?"

"I-I..."

"Exactly. The important thing here is that you're going to break some kid's heart. Do you really want to do that?"

"Then what do you want me to do!" he angrily shouted. He closed his eyes tightly shut and pressed his head farther into his pillow. Maybe if he pushed hard enough, he would just get absorbed into his bed.

"Finish packing and move in with them," she commanded. He whimpered. "He certainly isn't the first straight friend you had a crush on, and that crush is long gone now."

"That was a simple crush--this is more," he explained.

"This is you throwing away a friendship because you're scared. You're strong, Castiel, always have and always will be. You have the chance to make a friend here and get to know a great kid. Even though you won't get to call them your own, you can at least get to call them your friends. Isn't that better than nothing at all?"

"What if I fall in love with him?" he whispered.

"That's a chance we take with anyone we meet. And you don't see people not trying to make new friends. You just need to remind yourself why you're there, and that's mainly for Henry. And I'm sure he's doing this for the same reason."

"He did mentioned that he wouldn't have offered this if it wasn't for Henry," he said in a quiet voice.

"See!" she shouted. "Do it for Henry, someone you both care deeply for."

"Yeah." He could do this for Henry. He could push back his attraction to his father and help bring a little joy into Henry's life. She was right. This wasn't the first straight guy he had crushed on, and he dealt with that, and he could deal with this one. He was never one to break someone's heart, and he certainly wouldn't break Henry's. He was sure he wouldn't be with them that long for him to even fall in love with Dean.

"Good," she said sounding extremely pleased with herself.

"Wait. How come you're not opposed to me moving in with some stranger?" he inquired.

"I looked up where you live. And I did have to listen to you complain about how untrustworthy people there were, so I couldn't be happier that some stranger is offering you a kid and a safer place to stay in," she cheerfully stated."You finished freaking out?"

"I think so," he uncertainly said.

"Think of it this way. He probably knows he's missing something in his life, and you're it. God knows, you have met many of them that have.

"He really doesn't seem like it though," he assured her.

"Yet, he clung onto you, and nearly cried when you left. He's clearly missing something, and you have it," she reiterated. "And many of them are still grateful to you today. So, are you okay with this?"

"Yes, I am." Henry wanted him around, so he was going to do this for him.

"Good."

"You should get back to work, or whatever you were doing. Thank you for knocking some sense into me," he weakly chuckled. He really didn't want to stop talking to her, but she was most likely busy, and he did have to get everything in order. It really hurt him that she decided to move to Seattle, but she and Jeff got wonderful job offers that they couldn't refuse. Sure they call and video chat, but it wasn't the same as having her within arms reach. Now, she was farther away. 

"Work," she groaned, "why did I become a doctor again?"

"Something about cutting people open," he mused.

"Okay, smartass," she responded. He could picture the eye rolling all the way here. "Have you called Balthazar or Gabriel yet?"

"No," he said and somehow managed to sag his shoulders even though he was lying down. "I have texted them both a few times."

"That's not the same," she admonished. He knew he should have called them, but he didn't want to hear their disapproval. Anna hadn't been happy about his sudden move, but she understood why. He was just not sure his brothers would.

"I know," he said dejectedly. "I'll call them after I finish speaking to you."

"Perfect," she cheered. "I'll talk to you later. Goodbye, bluebird. Love you."

"Goodbye, Anna. I love you, too," he said and hung up. He dialed Gabriel's number first. Balthazar most definitely wasn't awake at eleven in the morning. Gabriel picked just before it went to voicemail.

"Cassie!" he shouted.

He made a long suffering groan. "That is the second time I heard that name in a half an hour span.

Gabriel made a low throaty laugh. "I'm gonna guess that Anna called you since Balty is right here."

"Why is Balthazar awake?" he swiftly replied then cringed. He had meant to asked why he was there, but the word were out of his mouth before his brain caught up. Gabriel's laugh bellowed through the phone, and Cas could here him dry heaving.

"I really resent that, Cassie," came Balthazar's voice through the line. He should have guessed they were on speaker phone.

"Hello, Balthazar," he said, smiling.

"Don't 'hello, Balthazar' me," he grumbled. "I can be up at any time I please."

"Need I remind you that you own a nightclub, and you're up all night. So, it shouldn't come as much of a surprise that I'm surprised," he refuted.

"Yeah. Yeah. And what do we owe the pleasure of hearing your sweet voice, brother dear?" he drawled.

"Balthazar--"

"What?"

"Balthazar," Gabriel admonished.

"What? He just left and didn't tell us anything. We had to hear this from Anna," he hissed.

"I wanted--"

"If you wanted to get away that badly, you could have move here to New York and stayed with us or Washington with Anna," Gabriel cut in. Balthazar was already angry with him, and now he was losing Gabriel, too.

"I got a job offer here," he defended.

"We both know that wasn't the only job offer you got," Balthazar said, "but it was perfect enough that you could get away but still be close by."

"But, hey, we're not going argue about this. What's done is done. It was nice to know that you moved after it happened," said Gabriel in a tight voice.

"And nice of you to call--what? Two week later?" came Balthazar's clipped voice.

"I texted--"

"Not the same, and you know it," said Gabriel, who then sighed. "We're just worried about you." Castiel assumed that he figured out being angry wouldn't solve anything.

"You move to some God forsaken town in Kansas, where you know no-one, and not expect us to worry?" Balthazar said in a hurt voice.

"I'm sorry. I didn't want to hurt any of you," he brokenly responded.

"We know, bluebird," Gabriel said in a soft voice. "We're just hurt and angry that you didn't tell us." He sighed again.

"We're angry at ourselves, too," Balthazar sighed, "We're angry that you felt like you couldn't tell us, and that you felt like you couldn't talk to us till now."

"I'm sorry," he said, putting in as much sincerity as he can. He didn't want this to hurt them. He needed to find somewhere new to clear his head.

"We're sorry, too, bluebird," he said, tone filled with affection.

"Are you okay there, though?" Gabriel asked.

"That's why I called," he said. "I wanted to tell you that I'm doing well, and 'not in some ditch' as you so eloquently put it." He chuckled hoping to lighten the atmosphere.

"You don't sound okay," he said.

"Still adjusting to the new surrounding." 

"You could--"

"You know I don't do well in big cities, and I can't go running to my big brothers everytime something happens," he cut him off, a small fond smile tugging at his lips. He loved that they care this much about him.

"This isn't just something, but okay. Just call us if you need anything. No matter what time, just call us, okay?" he requested. Castiel could tell it was more of a demand.

"You got it, Cassie?" Balthazar asked. "You need anything, you call us. We'll be there in a heartbeat."

"Yes," he responded. If it will help temper their worrying, then he'll let them be overprotective.  "Is it safe to assume you're no longer angry with me?" He heard them both sigh over the phone.

"When have we ever been able to stay angry at you for long?" Gabriel teased, earning a chuckle out of him.

"You're forgiven," Balthazar said.

"Hey, Anna never mentioned how permanent this move is?" Gabriel suddenly said.

"I intend to stay here for the foreseeable future," he answered. "The teaching position pays really well, and the staff are quite welcoming. And the town is similar to home, so it's only a matter of time before I feel comfortable here." Silence filled the air after that.

"If you're sure about this then we'll support you," Balthazar said, breaking the silence.

"I'm sure, and thank you."

"So, where are you staying? Did you find a house yet?" Gabriel inquired.

"I don't plan on buying a house, yet," he informed them.

"Why not? You certainly have the money for it," said Baltazar.

"I don't see the benefit in that," he said. "There's no reason for me to buy a large house when it's just going to be me." There was no sense in buying a house that was barely going to be lived in. Knowing him, he would either spend most of his time in the kitchen or some small corner reading. Both of which, he could do in a small apartment.

"Where are you staying then?" he asked. Here was the moment he could either tell them about Dean or not. He had already lied to them, and didn't feel right doing it again. If he didn't tell them now, and they found out then they were really going to be pissed.

"A friend offered me a place to stay until I can find a decent place, preferably one close to the campus," he said, clenching and unclenching the sheet on his bed. He didn't mention that the place he was staying at wasn't that great, because he really couldn't have them worrying more about him.

"A friend?" Balthazar asked incredulously.

"Anna never mentioned you had a friend there?" Gabriel stated. He can almost imagine him berating her for withholding information. Somehow, he could see him and Hnery getting along really well. 

"We've just became friends and Anna just found out." Anna should safe from his wrath now. He doubted that would end well; Anna could be a force to reckon with.

"And he asked you to move in?" Balthazar said, not even trying to mask his suspicions.

"He's been generous. He had friends that moved here, and he's knows what it's like, and therefore offered to help me out."

"Are you sure there's no ulterior motive like he's--"

"He's straight," he said cutting Gabriel off, "and by extension has no interest  in 'getting into my pants.'" He certain they got the air quotes. And he really wished people would believe him that Dean was not gay.

"You cou--"

"I already had this discussion with Anna, and my previous statement still stands," he sternly told them.

"Okay, got it. Straight, nice guy who wants to help and not fondle your goods," he said.

Castiel groaned and hit his forehead with his free hand. "Why do I even bother?" He heard Balthazar chuckling through the phone. "Not helping, Balthazar."

"Okay. We believe you," Balthazar chuckled.

"We still need to check this guy out though," Gabriel stated. 

"No. He's a good guy, and I trust him."

"Why am I sensing an extra 'and' attached to all of that?" Balthazar questioned. If he was here right now, Castiel would definitely see his eyes narrowing at him.

He sighed. "He-has-a-three-year-old-son," he said in one go.

Balthazar responded with "What now?" in unison with Gabriel's "What?"

Castiel sighed again. "He has a three year old son."

"So, free babysitting," Gabriel accused.

"No, Gabriel. His son and I get along really well, and he--we both decided that since his son liked me so much that it would good for us to get to know each other more. And as I stated before, he wanted to help out as well."

"That doesn't seem like a really good reason to invite some stranger into your house," Balthazar said, unconvinced.

"His son got really attached to me in a short period of time," he sighed, "and showed no interest of letting go soon." He was immediately thought about Henry gripping onto his shirt yesterday, and the sad look in his eye. "We both don't him to be heartbroken if I just stopped seeing him. Hence, this solution: He gets to see his son happy, and I get a place to stay for the time being."

"But you're going to move out anyway," he reminded.

"We know. We're hoping he'll see enough of me that he wouldn't be so reluctant to let go," he said.

"He's going to get more attached the more time you spend with him," Gabriel informed.

"We're going to tell him my stay isn't permanent," he responded, "and I know that you're thinking it would be better to just not move in, but you haven't see how he acted around me, and having this is better than him seeing me, say, once a week."

"Are we still talking about him or you now?" Balthazar asked. "Because it would seem that he's not the only one attached here."

He groaned. "Just trust me. He's three, and pretty soon he's going to lose interest in me, and seeing each other once a week would be more than enough." He knew he was avoiding the question, but he also knew Balthazar didn't really expect a response.

Balthazar sighed, confirming what he thought before. "Fine. Just don't get hurt."

"I know what I'm doing, and I'll be fine. Besides, it's not going to be that long," he reassured them. "I have to go now."

"Okay, and remember what we told you. Bye, bluebird," Balthazar said.

"Bye, Cassie! The next time you call, you better not spring something on us like you shagging this guy," he teased.

"Gabriel."

"Sorry, couldn't resist," he laughed.

"Goodbye, and I'll try to call more often," he promised.

"Bye, Cassie. And you better," said Gabriel.

"If you don't call, we might just come down there," said Baltazar. "Bye, Cassie."

"Don't worry, I will," he said. "Bye, Baltazar. Bye, Gabriel." He then hung up the phone. He spread both his arms out, and stared up at his ceiling--well, his soon to be ex-ceiling. It was nice talking to them. He didn't realize how much he missed them until he heard their voices. Maybe he should have moved closer to one of them, but Baltazar was right; he wanted to get away, but he would have never been able to go far. He sighed. _What's done is done._ Right now, arrangements had to be made for tomorrow. He could do this. All he had to do was stay focus and focus on why he was doing this, and that was for Henry.

"I don't know what you were worried about," he laughed to himself. "You can do this. Dean's a straight guy and you have made friends with a lot of them." He laughed again. ' _As if Dean would suddenly like you. You have nothing to worry about_.'

 

~~~★~~~

It's Saturday, and Dean couldn't be more amused.

Standing in the doorway to his living room, smiling, he didn't mind being woken up at five in the morning. Henry woke him up at five this morning--well, 4:58 to be exact--because they needed to clean the house for when Cas came over. He tried tell him that Cas was going to be here tomorrow, but he said they needed to start today. He then tried to tell him that they could clean in the morning before he got there, but he wasn't having it. He got a panicked look on his face and told him that they might not finish in time. Dean sighed, and told that he would help him, but he wouldn't be of much help to him if he was sleepy throughout the day. He got so conflicted, but said he could have an extra hour of sleep, and he would stay with him to make sure he waked up on time. That one hour of sleep ended up being a four hour nap with them snuggled up together. Dean had Henry's sleeping on his chest, head right over his heart, and  his left arms thrown over his waist. Henry's hands would curl and uncurl into little fists, subconsciously looking for something to hold onto. When Dean woke up, couldn't help but smile down at him. He felt a tight grip on his heart when he put a finger next one of his hands and he automatically clutched onto it, and occasionally squeezing it. Dean should have woken him up then, but settled to just pretending he was asleep until Henry woke up--relishing in the warmth that swept through his body with every squeeze.

Henry wasn't a very happy camper when he woke up. He got mad at Dean for not waking up sooner--Dean held his tongue about telling him about having been away for a while--and rushed out the room to brush his teeth and take a bath.

He kicked his whining and pouting up a notch today. Apparently Dean wasn't moving fast enough for his taste. He would have followed his command, but his pouty and annoyed self was too extremely cute today to pass up. Dean would, at first, pick him up and plant as many kisses on his face as he could before he would squirm and demand to be put down. Now Henry would just run away from Dean and complain from a distance--hands on his hips. He should feel bad about making him so annoyed, but he couldn't help himself and kept his current pace just to see Henry get irritated with him.

Now, he was standing by the door with an amused smile as he watch his son flitter around the living room. After scarfing down his food--much to Dean's dismay--Henry set about cleaning the house and decided that the perfect place to start was the living room. Dean was supposed to be cleaning the kitchen but was not going to miss out the chance to see his son clean something other than his room or pick up his toys. Right now, Henry trying to clear the coffee table. He was focused intently on stacking the car magazines that Dean had there. Lips pursed. He was trying to to get their spines to align but got irritated when some of them would slip out place. He huffed and stomped his foot when his last attempt failed. Dean chuckled from his post by the doorway.

Henry whipped his head to the side to look at him. "Dad!" he whined. Dean chuckled again. "You're supposed to be cleaning the kitchen," he complained. He then glared at Dean. Dean smiled at him and took a step towards him. He took a step back. "Dad," he warned, an irritated look overcoming his face.

"What?" Dean feigned innocence and slowly approached him.

"Dad," he frowned at him while simultaneously preparing himself to run off again.

"I wouldn't try that, Henry," he smirked at him. "There's no where to run." He pounced before Henry could do anything and scooped him up. He pretended to take bites out of his tummy, while Henry squirmed and squealed with laughter.

"Dad, stop," he pleaded. Dean stopped and but rushed forward to press a kiss to his nose. His arms came up to push Dean's face away. Dean moved his head away, but leaned forward to press a kiss to his cheek when he moved his arms away. "Dad," he whined. Dean pulled back his head and laughed then went back to press kisses to his forehead, cheeks and nose.

"You're really cute, you know that?" Dean said.

"Dad!" he glared. Henry could try and glare at him, but it would always be damn cute.

Dean leaned forward and rubbed his nose up and down his cheek. "You're the most adorable kid in existence," he cooed. He heard Henry sigh. Dean chuckled to himself, but continued to rub his nose along his cheek, stopping ever-so-often to press a soft kiss.

He pulled back and was about to say something when the doorbell rang, and they both stiffened. Henry looked up at him, wide eyed. Both of them stood there, too stunned do anything. If it was any of their family member they would have barged right on in. They normally didn't get visitors, and the only one they were expecting would be here tomorrow. But, Cas wouldn't be here today. Would he?

' _What if he came to say he can't move in with them?_ ' The thought caused Dean's stomach to fill with lead. The doorbell rang again, snapping Dean out of his dread filled thoughts. Dean set Henry upright on one of his arms, walked out the living room and turned to face the front door. Henry was no longer in his dazed state, and Dean could see him get increasingly excited at the prospect of it being Cas. Dean steeled himself and opened his front door.

When he opened the door, he was almost floored by the relief that shot through his body. Just as quickly as his relief had come, it just as quickly left his body, only to be replaced with dread. Fuck. Charlie was standing at his front door. She was wearing a bright red tank top with light blue jeans and flip flops. She had her hair in a ponytail and an irritated look on her face--an irritated look that quickly morphed into confusion. He could just imagine what she's seeing. He was pretty sure she saw how his face changed from relief to fear, and he was sure she saw how Henry went from excited to disappointed in a matter of seconds--hell, maybe milliseconds. He should have known that she would have come over today. He promised that he would have explained the whole Cas situation, but then Henry got all depressed, and then everyone decided not to say a word about Cas from then on. He should have known that she wouldn't have forgotten and would have stopped at nothing to get her answers.

"Are you guys going to say something?" she said, narrowing her eyes at them, "because you're acting kinda weird."

"Huh? Oh! Hey, Charlie," he said. He tried smiling, but he knew that it came out too forced, and judging by the incredulous look on her face, it might be a little too forced.

"Hiya, Aunt Charlie," Henry said. He wasn't even trying to conceal his disappointment, with his sagging shoulders and crestfallen face.

"I can come back when you guys are less...moody?" she said, forehead furrowing in confusion. He only wished what she said was true, but she wasn't going anywhere.

"No. We're just surprised to see you," he lied, more for Henry's sake than his. He was silently praying that it wouldn't be Cas, but Henry wanted it to be him so badly.

"Uh-huh," she said, looking at Henry, whose whole demeanor caved in on itself: his head was bowed, his body hunched over and curled into Dean's chest, and he was playing with the neckline of the gray t-shirt Dean was wearing. She arched an eyebrow. "Well, are you going to let me in?"

"Right," he said and moved aside so that she could get in. She walked in and head straight for the kitchen. He sighed, closed the door and trailed after her. When he got there, she was sitting on one of the stools by the island. He put Henry down. "Bud, why don't you go play in your room while your aunt and I have a little chat," he told him.

"But we have to clean," he complained. He can imagine Charlie's eyebrows disappearing in those bangs of hers.

Dean sighed again. "Okay, why don't you clean your room instead?" Henry nodded his head and ran out the kitchen. "Be careful," he shouted after him. He looked up to Charlie and said "backyard" before she could said anything. He opened the door and stepped out and walked into the backyard.  He turned around to face Charlie. "Close the door," he instructed. She raised an eyebrow but did as instructed.

"So what was--"

"We kinda thought that you might have been Cas," he said, cutting her off.

"Cas?" she said.

"Yeah," he nervously chuckled.

"Why would he come to your house?" she asked, confused. "Weren't you guys going to meet tomorrow? _And who the hell is this guy?_ "

"Okay, one thing at a time," he said. "First off, his name is Castiel, who I accidentally called Cas and the name kinda stuck."

"You barely know this guy and you gave him a nickname," she said, disbelievingly.

"I give nicknames to a lot of people," he justified. He didn't know what she was talking about. He had a habit of giving me weird names, so him giving Cas a nickname wasn't far out the realm of possibility.

"Fine, I'll let that one slide. What else?" she demanded. She looked up at him with eager filled eyes. Nothing excited her more than getting new information or getting answers.

"We met at the grocery store."

"What grocery store," she asked. He gave her a pointed look. "What? I'm trying to get the full picture here," she said, exasperated.

"Eckan's," he said, rolling his eyes. Why was he friends with her again?

"What was he wearing?" she asked

He glared at her. "How is this relevant?" Oh, that was right. He was friends with her because he needed someone to be nerdy with. He just forgot all the weirdness that came with that.

"Henry likes this guy," she stated, looking him in the eyes, "and since you forbid me from researching him, this is the only alternative." She shrugged her shoulders.

He smiled fondly at her. It might seemed to most that she was be petulant about being told what to do, but she was more upset about not knowing. She cared about them, and not being able to make sure this guy was safe was really getting under her skin. He couldn't help but love her a little more for restraining and not ruining this for Henry. "I don't remember. I think it was jeans and a dress shirt."

"Huh? I thought he might have been trying to impress us," she mused.

"Nah. I think he just dresses like that. I mean he wore it to the grocery store for God's sake."

"What? You think he got money?"

"I don't know. He said he's a college professor, and he moved here because he got a job," he explained. He was leaning more to not. If Cas did have money, why didn't he just buy a house? It would have been more easier for him than to look for a place. People were more willing to sell something than actually rent it out. Maybe, the whole dress code thing was from years of teaching. He just permanently assumed the role. Maybe, he was from one of those uptight family that one saw in old commercials that dress up for family dinners and have proper posture and table manners. Speaking of which, Cas did do all those things when they had breakfast with him.

"He's a teacher?" she asked, and he nodded his head. "I can see it. He dresses like he's going to school. What does he teach?"

"Mythology and folklore."

"You're kidding?" she said, wide eyed.

"Yep," he said, nodding, "and he got a job at KU."

"I didn't even know that someone could major in that," she said, skeptical.

"Well, he did and got a job with it," he said.

"I mean...I kinda picture him as some Math teacher or maybe an English teacher. He seemed awkward and shy like he would much rather have his head in a book," she admitted. He could see where she was going with this. Cas really seemed like someone that would likely to teach Math or maybe offering to do someone's taxes.

"He didn't mention he would rather read than fix cars when we last saw him," he contemplated.

"Of course you would talk about cars in the grocery store," she drawled. He nervously chuckled, and shifted from one foot to the other. She narrowed her eyes at him. "What aren't you telling me?"

"We kinda didn't talk about cars at the grocery store," he nervously said while he brought his hand up to the back of his head and ran it through his hair.

"Dean Winchester," she warned, eyes narrowed in a glared that threatened to kill him where he stood. He starting to think that her curiosity wasn't the only reason she was here. His entire family must have sent her here to make sure she got everything out of him. If it was anyone else, he would have avoided the conversation and distracted them with something else. He was a little hurt that they would think that he wouldn't tell them about Cas. Okay, maybe he did deserve this. He didn't say anything about this guy and just sprung this on them at the last minute and then escaped without telling much.

"We talked about cars when we saw him at Milton's cafe," he said and moved his arms to cover his face. He closed his eyes and hunched his body over, and waited.

"Dean!" she hollered. 'Right on cue,' he thought. "You met this guy twice, and yesterday was the first time we hear about him!" He really didn't want to open his eyes. Her face is probably as red as her hair. "I'm your best friend!" she screeched.

He moved his arms and right himself with lightening speed. "That doesn't mean I have to tell you everything," he shouted back at her. He immediately regretted it when he saw the hurt that flashed across her. It was only there for a second and quickly covered over with a stoic look. "Charlie..." he said in a broken voice.

"You're right. You don't have to tell me everything. He's your son after all. You know what's best for him," she responded, face void of all emotions.

He moved forward and pulled her close to him. He snaked one arms around her waist and used his free hand to cup the back of her head. "I didn't mean that," he softly said. He truly didn't. When she moved her a year ago, she quickly became his best friend. He knew that they would be good friends but hadn't realized how close they would have gotten. She became the person he would tell everything to; he told her things that he would never say to anybody else, even Sam and Benny. "I didn't know what to tell people. I mean at first I thought that this was a one time thing, and we would never see him again, but then he showed up at our favorite diner. I--I still don't know what to say," he whispered.

"What do you mean?" she inquired, pushing herself out of the embrace to look at his face.

He sighed then released her. He moved away from her then turned his back to her. He ran one hand frustratedly through his hair, then turned back to look at her. "Henry wants this guy to be part of our family," he moaned.

"What?" she gasped.

"The first time we met him, Henry said that he chose him," he hissed out. "How am I supposed to explain that when I couldn't understand it!" He saw how her eyes widened.

"Henry could be wro--"

"I thought so, too," he said cutting her off, "but Henry doesn't see it that way. He said he wasn't wrong and that Cas would fit right in." He realized that maybe he was just as frustrated as Charlie was about not knowing something. It would seem that his son knew something that they didn't. God, he wished he knew something that they didn't, because a lot of people are going to get hurt if this didn't work out.

"Okay, but he's a kid. He's bound to lose interest soon enough," she reasoned.

He dryly chuckled, more along the lines of mocking. "You would think that."

"Why do you say that?" she asked, face contorted in confusion.

"I thought so the first time we saw him.  I thought he would have forgotten about him, but no. He was miserable after that day," he said running his fingers through his hair. "He was all depressed, and didn't feel like doing the things he would normally do."

"That bad, huh?"

"Worst. He would constantly look around for him. He would get so worked up when he thought he saw him, but looked like the life was sucked out of him when it wasn't him," he miserably said. "I took him to Milton's the day we saw Cas to cheer him up, and that almost didn't happen because he refused to go there or even to mom's." He had been extra down that day. He was willing to deal with his parents finding out if it would cheer him up, but he refused to go. The only way he got him to go to Milton's was by promising that he would drive them around town later on.

"I bet. I mean he went from ecstatic to depressed in a matter of seconds yesterday," she confessed. "When you came back from lunch, we went straight over to his toys and just sat there." She parted her bangs to the side. "He tried playing with them but just gave up and kept looking at the door as if he'll come back." Dean remembered it all too well. When he took him out for lunch, he had his head bowed and silently ate his food. Dean tried talking to him, but he would shrug or offer up monosyllabic responses. When he got back to work, he left him to play with his toys but later found out he just sat there most of the time. Whenever Dean went to check on him, he would walk up to him and Dean was forced to pick him up. He would cling to him--not caring that he was getting oil on his clothes--and only let go when Dean had to go back to work. The poor guy tired himself out and fell asleep surrounded by all his toys. When they got home, he tried putting him to bed but Henry hung on, and he ended up watching TV with a sleeping Henry on his chest.

"Now, he's back to being ecstatic," he gloomily said, "and I guess worried too." He chuckled at that, but there wasn't much humor behind it.

"Why is he worried?" she said, raising an eyebrow.

"He's afraid we won't get the house cleaned in time for when Cas gets here," he said, a smile tugging at his lips.

"He's coming here?" she exclaimed, surprised with her eyebrows meeting her hairline.

"Well, yeah," he said sheepishly. "I did say yesterday that I invited him to hang out with us." He was planning on telling her that he asked Cas to move in with them, but he was waiting for the right time to tell her. Or at least until he could find a way to tell her and not have her overreact.

"I know, but I thought that you guys would meet somewhere. I don't know...like the park, maybe?"

"We kinda plan to spend the whole day together," he said. He purposely left out the fact that they intend to spend that time helping him move in. "So I invited him here, and we'll see what happens next." This wasn't a total lie. He did invite him here, and he had no idea what was going to happen afterwards.

"Okay, that seems reasonable," she said, looking at him suspiciously. ' _Damn, her_ ,' he thought. "What are you planning on doing after all of this? I mean if this visit is anything like the last one, he's going to be crushed after it ends." She looked at him imploringly. "Or maybe you already have something planned," she said with widened eyes. Damn. He wished he wasn't this exposed to her. Fuck. He still needed time to think of something. "Dean," she sternly said.

He groaned. "Fine!" he said throwing both hand in the air. If she wanted to know then he was going to tell her. "I asked him to move in with us." He then breathed out a sigh of relief. He was finally able to tell someone. That relief didn't last long, however.

"DEAN WINCHESTER, YOU DID WH-" Whatever else she about to say was cut off by Dean, who ran over to her and covered her mouth with his hand.

"Shh!" he hissed out. She made a protest, but whatever she said was muffled by his hand. "I'm going to remove this, and I really need you to not talk and just listen," he explained. She shot him an impatient look. "Promise me, Charlie," he gritted out. She rolled her eyes but nodded. He removed his hand from her mouth.

"The fuck, Winchester!" she yelled.

"Charlie!" he shouted, exasperated.

"Fine. Shutting up now," she huffed out. She crossed her arms across her chest, hips slightly cocked to the side and an annoyed look on her face.

"So I asked Cas to move in with us--"

"Yeah. I got that," she interjected, cutting him off.

"Charlie," he grounded out, glaring at her.

"Fine. Shutting up," she said then made a zipping up gesture with her lips.

"He need a place to stay and I offered him one," he sofly said, almost a whisper. He looked over her shoulder to the backdoor to make sure Henry wasn't there, listening in on their conversation.

"What?"

"Get over here," he demanded. She moved closer to him, so that they were about a foot apart. "He lives on Haskell street, and I offered him a place to stay."

"Why does he live there?" she asked confused. He gave her a pointed look. "What?" she said indignantly.

"Think about it, Charlie" he prompted. She contemplated for a few seconds.

"I still don't get," she said, irritated. 

"He new in town--"

She smacked his arm. "You could have mentioned this before," she hissed.

"I did," he grunted, rubbing his arm.

"When?"

"I told you he moved here because of a job offer, remember?"

"Oh...Forgot about that," she said, embarrassed. "Sorry."

"It's fine," he said, still rubbing his arm. Part of him regretted teaching her self-defense right now. Who knew so much power was bottled up in that little body?

"That still doesn't mean you can asked him to move in with you," she hissed.

"Charlie would you stop yelling," he commanded. "Henry doesn't know about any of this yet." He would like it to stay that way for the time being. He wasn't going to ruin this for his son because his aunt won't listen.

"Why doesn't he know?" she whispered.

"Thank you," he said. "We wanted it to be a surprise for him."

"But, Dean--seriously? Asking this guy to move in with you?"

"What do you want me to do?" he growled under his breath. "You said it yourself. How am I going to deal with this? This is me dealing with this."

"Dean--"

"No," he sternly said. "I don't know about you, but I can't see him depressed because he can't see this guy. If having him stay here will bring some form of happiness then I'm willing to do this." He had seen his spirit crushed two times already, and he was not keen on seeing it a third time. "Besides, we're both helping each other out. He gets a place to stay while he finds a permanent place to stay, and I get a happy kid." He turned pleading eyes on her. He needed her to support him. Having her in his corner would help persuade the others that this was a good thing.

"How long is he planning on staying here?" she asked defeatedly.

He grinned brightly at her. He felt his muscles slowly unwind. "We don't know yet. We don't know how long it's going to take to find him a new apartment. "

"He's not going to be a freeloader, is he?" she questioned, eyes narrowing at him.

He chuckled at her. "No, he actually suggested what his payment would be. He said he would pay for the time spent here, plus help with utilities and help around the house."

"Okay. That's reasonable. Good to see that he isn't taking advantage of you."

"I'm pretty sure we're the ones taking advantage of him here," he grinned at her. She nodded her head in agreement.

"So this is happening?" she asked.

He sighed. "I think we owe it to Henry to see where this would go." He ran his fingers through his hair. "We could be right and Henry's wrong about this guy. If that's the case then we don't have to worry about him getting his heartbroken or something. Cas will find a place and leave, and we'll be good."

"What if he turns out to be right?" she argued.

"Then we get a new friend...I guess," he stated, shrugging his shoulders.

"What if we don't like him, and only Henry does?" she questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"Henry seems to think that we would, and so far Cas hasn't done anything that bothered us."

"Do you like him?"

"What?"

"Henry's not the only one going to live with this guy. So, do you like this guy?" she said, staring at him intently. Did he like Cas? Yeah, he did. The little time that they spent with each other was good. Conversations between the two of them weren't forced. He may be a little awkward, but he seemed like a good guy.

"I-I think so. It just th--ugh!" He shouted. He then turned his back to her. "I like the guy, it just that I don't see what Henry sees in this guy. What is it that we're not seeing?" He turned around to face her again. "This would have been much eaiser if I felt the same way about this guy."

"You didn't feel anything when you met this guy?" she asked, a hint of disbelief hidding in there.

"No," he lied. He knew he should tell her about that electric feeling he felt both times he saw him, but he didn't even know what that was. It was probably nothing, and he was getting himself worked up.

"Okay--" he sighed,"--you're right. We do owe it to him to see where this is will go."

"Hey, we might get lucky and he does lose interest in this guy," he said, smiling faintly.

"Sure." He doesn't know if she convinced by this, or just agreeing to bring some sort of peace of mind.

"For Henry," he stated. He stretched out out his hand.

She rolled her eyes, but took his hand. "For Henry." They shook hands.

"Now that you're here,"  he said and clapped his hands together, "you can help us clean." He widely grinned at her, a grin that doubled in size at the exasperated look she gave him. He was glad he had her on his side. Now all he needed to do was convince the others. He was sure they would be able to allow this. After all, they would do anything for Henry.

~~~★~~~

It was finally Sunday, and emotions were running high.

Henry was buzzing with excitement and running around the house, occasionally stopping to look out the window. Dean on the other hand was experiencing a mixed of emotions: anxiety, amusement, and a little excitement of his own. For once, Henry didn't have to wake him up today. They both got up at seven which was a testament of how tired Henry must have been after yesterday. The little menace spent the whole day yesterday barking orders at him and Charlie. In all honesty, it was adorable watching him stand on the island in the kitchen pointing out all the spot Charlie had to clean, and the ones that she missed. Frankly, it was worth it in Dean's opinion when Henry would look at a finished room and looked so pleased with himself, and with them.

Dean had Charlie distract Henry with cleaning out the garage while he got Cas's room set up. When they were getting the house cleaned, he made sure that Henry cleaned the room opposite him. Henry was going to want him close by and that was the closest since there was no room next to Henry's--he would ignore the fact that both rooms were perpendicular to his, and Cas's room was right next to his own bathroom. Henry did have the staircase that runs parallel to his room, and the door that was at the top of the stairs that lead to the attic next to his room though. Henry would kill him if he suggested Cas sleep in the attic or on the stairs.

He did find it ironic that he gave Cas the sky blue painted room.

He stripped the sheets of the bed, because he was pretty sure Cas would be more comfortable with his own sheets. He moved the unused book shelf that he got from the garage--after Charlie asked Henry to get her something to drink--to Cas' s room in case he wanted to put his books there. He had to go through the front door to avoid Henry seeing him come through the door connecting the house and garage behind the staircase and next to the kitchen to get it there. He made sure the closet was cleaned out, as it should, but you can never be too careful. After he was done he sent a picture to Cas. The room was stripped bare. The only thing left was a bed with only one mattress, an empty closet with white folding door opposite it, a black nightstand with one lamp on one side facing the wall the door is attached to, a bookshelf on the other side against the wall, two large windows with white curtains, and dark violet carpeting. Cas can do what he likes with it when he gets here.

Right now, they were in the living room watching TV, waiting for Cas to get here. Henry thought that Cas was going to be here around noon, but Dean knew that he was going to be here at nine. He was able to convince Henry to sit and watch TV with him after the first hour of him running around making sure everything was still cleaned. Maybe he could get Cas to encourage Henry to help keep the house this clean everyday.

He had to be stealthy when checking the time to not give anything away. He started panicking when nine came and went. His panic only increased with each passing minute. He was beginning to think Cas had changed his mind when the doorbell rang at ten past nine. Both of their heads whipped to the side to look through the rectangular opening in the wall that gave them a clear view of the front door. The both jumped off the couch at the same time, but Henry was the first to move and ran to the front door with Dean following close behind. Henry threw the door open, and Dean was happy it didn't hit the wall. Standing at the door was Cas, wearing black jeans, black sneakers, same he wore on Friday, and a tightly fitted navy-blue long sleeved buttoned up shirt with white buttons--a tightly fitted shirt that told him he was wrong about Cas' s body, because damn there were plenty of muscles under there. His hair was a mess as always and faint dark circles under his eyes, but his eyes were as bright as ever--and cue the electricity.

"CAS!" Henry shrieked and launched himself at Cas. The impact pushed Cas backwards, and he tripped over the black suitcase behind him. Dean was quick to react and reached out, grabbing Cas's left upper arm, preventing him from falling over. In that instant their eyes met, and he felt like the world around them kinda stopped. All his attention was on Cas, and his was on him. He was not sure how long they stood there looking at each other. They were, however, broken from whatever that was when Henry, who had his arms around Cas' s waist and rubbing his head against Cas's stomach, let out a tiny 'Cas' that was filled with so much longing and relief that it knocked the air right out of the two of them. They both looked down at him. His arms were so tight around Cas's waist that Dean thought Henry was afraid of someone taking him away from Cas. Or that he was afraid if he didn't hold on this time Cas was going to leave him again. Henry was still rubbing his head against Cas's stomach, as if he couldn't get close enough, while he let out little heart wrenching sighs. Dean looked up wide eyed to see Cas with a similar expression on his face.

Cas fixed himself upright, and Dean released his arm that he realized he was still holding. Cas looped one arm around Henry's shoulders and brought one hand to cup the back of his head. He bend forward and rested his forehead on top of his head, hugging him. "I missed you too, Henry" he murmured while slowly massaging the back of Henry's head. Henry let out a small whimper, and Dean's heart shattered. All doubts about asking Cas to move in with them flew right out the window. Cas moved his head and kissed the top of Henry's. He then moved back and removed his arm from around Henry and the hand on the back of his head. The moment he did that, Henry made a high-pitched needy sound like he has been touch starved for most of his life.

Dean made an abrupt move forward, but stopped when Cas put his arm around Henry again and started massaging his head. "Shh. It's okay, Henry. I'm right here," he whispered, trying to soothe him. Henry sighed again, and the tightness in his shoulders and back quickly receded. Dean was starting to think Henry was more afraid of Cas leaving him than someone separating them.

Dean stood frozen in place with one hand outstretched--heart beating fast. He stood there watching a stranger soothing his son. Henry tightened his hold on Cas. The two of them were wrapped up in themselves, unaware of the inner turmoil Dean was experiencing right now. Part of him melted while he watched how tenderly Cas was massaging his scalp, how he held him close, and how he didn't object to anything--just let Henry take what he needed. The other part of him was terrified of how attached Henry was with this guy. He wasn't sure that Henry was going to lose interest in this guy. What was he going to do when this guy had to leave? He was going to have to make sure Cas liked all of them that way he would come around more for Henry's sake and for his sanity. ' _Please let him like us_ ,' he pleaded in his head.

He waited a minute before he broke them up. "Hey, buddy, why don't you let Cas go so he can come inside?" he suggested.

Henry shook his head. "Don't wanna," he responded, causing Cas to chuckle.

Cas removed his arm from the back of his shoulder and put it behind Henry's thighs.  He then proceeded to lift him up, not once removing the hand at the back of his head. Cas maneuvered him so that his bottom was resting on his arm while Henry had his hands tightly wrapped his neck and face buried in his neck. "Is this better?" Cas asked.

"Yeah," he sighed, rubbing his face deeper into Cas' s neck.

"Why don't you come inside," Dean said, moving out of the way. Cas turned around to look at his fallen suitcase. "I'll get it." Cas turned to face him and nodded his head. He walked passed Dean and went into the house. Dean went outside, picked up the suitcase, and walked back inside. He closed the door and put the suitcase next to the staircase. He turned to face them, noting that Henry still had his face plastered to Cas's neck. Cas was also slightly swaying from side to side. Dean looked at Cas, and they stared at each other, neither knowing how to proceed. Dean cleared his throat. "Hey, Henry. Aren't you going to ask Cas why he's here so early?"

"Doesn't matter," he muttered into Cas's neck. Cas features softened,  and he rest his cheek on top of Henry's head. Dean felt a tight grip on his heart watching the two of them. Henry had a hold on Cas that was shy of choking him, and Cas seemed unaffected by it. He just continued to lovingly card his fingers through Henry's hair. Cas had a peaceful look on his face, like he didn't need anything else in this world. He would happily stand where he was right now--holding on to Henry and being held by Henry. Dean wasn't sure how to deal with the warmth that was coursing through his body, so he pushed it down and tried to think of a way to tell his son his surprise. 

"Yeah, it does, buddy," Dean assured him.

"No," Henry said, shaking his head and, by extension, rubbing his nose against Cas's neck. A lean neck noticed Dean. ' _Focus, Winchester_ ,' he told himself.

"It does," he stated.

"Nuh-uh." Cas chuckled after he said that.

"Not helping, Cas," Dean said, shooting him a glare. "You're going to really want to hear this, bud," he pleaded. He glared at Cas harder when he saw the grin he was wearing.

Henry groaned, and Cas threw his head back, laughing. Henry removed his arms from around Cas's neck and then his face and turned his body so that he could face Dean. He had an irritated scowl on his face. He turned back to face Cas before Dean could say anything. "How come you're here so early?" he asked, tilting his head to the side.

"It was your Dad's idea for me to come here early," Cas told him, then he leaned forward a placed a kiss on his nose. To Dean utter disbelief, Henry didn't complain, just giggled.

"Really?"

"Yeah," Cas said fondly smiling at him. He turned to Dean. "And since it was his idea, I think he should be the one to tell you why." In that moment his respect for Cas exponentially grew. Cas knew that it was Dean's decision to ask him to move in, and he wanted Henry to know it too. He could have told him that he was moving in, but he wanted him to do it because he knew how happy it would make Henry. He knew how happy Henry would be with him. He wanted Henry's joy to be a gift from Dean. Looking into Cas's eyes, Dean knew that Cas wanted him to see that joy on Henry's face when he told him. And just like Cas wordlessly predicted,  Henry turned to face him. Dean noticed the pleased smile that graced Cas's face when Henry turned around. All the warmth that he felt before shot rocketed through his body, tenfold, incapacitating him. He quickly pulled himself together when he noticed the imploringly yet confused look on Henry's face.

"Well..buddy," he nervously said while rubbing his palm on his jeans. He hadn't fully regained control over his body from that onslaught of emotions from before. He took a deep breathe. "Ry. When we saw Cas Friday,  I asked him if he still needed a place to stay." Henry nodded his head, even though Dean could see he didn't see where this is going. "He said that he did, so I asked him to move in with us and he said yes."  Henry started out with a mixture of shock and disbelief that quickly morphed to pure unbridled joy. The smiled that stretched across his face threatened to split his face. He eyes shone brighter than he has ever seen them, and Dean was sure he saw tears beginning to form around his eyes. Dean knees buckled, and he knew that Cas saw them, but he didn't care right now, not when his son was looking at him like he just got him all the toys in the world.

"DAD!" he hollered and launched himself forward, dragging Cas with him, who move one hand to Henry's chest to keep him from falling. Dean sprung into action, and met them in the middle. He pulled him out of Cas's hold and held him tight to his chest. Henry held on to him just as tight, almost squeezing the life out of him, but he didn't care. "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" he chanted into Dean's neck.

"You don't have to thank me for anything, buddy," he laughed, teary eyed. "It's my job to keep you happy, and that's what I'm doing." He looked ahead to see Cas smiling warmly at them. He closed his eyes and basked in the embrace of his kid, rather that dwell on the feelings that plagued his body since he saw Cas holding Henry.

Henry pulled away from him. He grinned at him--dimples showing--the moved forward and planted a kiss on his cheek. "Thank you, Dad. I love you." And just like that he went back to hugging the crap out of Dean.

"You're welcome, buddy. And I love you, too," Dean said, resting his cheek on his head and smiled the biggest smile he possibly could.

Henry separated from him again and looked back at Cas. "You're gonna stay with us?" he asked in a voice filled with so much hope. Dean rolled his eyes at that. He should have known that he would want Cas's confirmation as well, if not more.

"Only if your offer still stan--"

"Yes!" he shouted, not waiting for Cas to finish his sentence. Dean and Cas started laughing at his eagerness.

"Then, yes. I'm going to stay with you and your dad," Cas said, smiling affectionately at him.

"Yay!" he cheered, pumping his little fists in the air then started giggling. He reached forward with both hands out towards Cas. Cas chuckled and shook his head while stepping forward to take him from Dean. This time he rested his head on the hollow part of Cas's shoulder, head pressed into his neck, one hand fisted into Cas's shirt, and looking at Dean. Dean was stunned by how tactile he was with Cas. He saw how much he loved Cas ruffling his hair, but this was different. Looking at him now, pressed tightly to Cas's chest and slowly caressing Cas's shirt with his thumb, Dean was starting to think that Henry not only loved it by somehow felt like he needed it. Now, Dean was starting to feel like he failed his son. He knew that he gave him plenty of affection, so he never doubted that he loved him, but now he wasn't sure if it was enough. All of his inner thoughts must have shown on he face, because the next he knew Cas is staring raptly at him. He tilted his head to the side, resulting in him pressing his cheek to the top of Henry's head, and stares at him like he's looking straight through him--right to his soul. He noticed when comprehension lit up his face and eyes. Cas mouthed 'don't' to him, and Dean felt something in him crack. One word, and he felt himself start to relax and extremely happy inside. Cas understood, and he was telling Dean that he was wrong. He was starting to think that maybe Henry wasn't wrong, and Cas may be something that they needed in their family after all.

He nodded his head at Cas then looked at Henry. "Bud, you're going to have to let Cas go so he can put his stuff in his room."

Henry sat up straight, dislodging Cas's cheek from the top of his head, and looked at Dean. "Which room?"

Dean shrugged his shoulders.  "It was thinking the one across from your room, but if you have another suggestion, then by all means," he teased.

"Dad!" he whined, getting a laugh out of the two adults. Cas placed him on the floor, and Dean's eyebrows met his hairline when Henry took his hand. "Come on, Cas," he said, pulling Cas with him. Henry didn't even need to squirm or demand Cas put him down. Cas just, sorta, knew. He knew that he would want before he said it. Dean shook his head. ' _You're over thinking this. That was a logical move. Cas probably figured this was going to happen, if Friday was anything to go by_ ," he thought to himself. Henry pulled him pass Dean, and Cas grabbed his suitcase by the stairs with his free hand.

"Is that all?" Dean asked, halting the retreat up the stairs.

"I have two boxes in the car, but I--"

"I'll get," Dean cut him off by saying. Cas looked like he was about to decline but put his suitcase down and reached into his pocket, pulling out his keys.

"They're in the trunk," he said, handing the keys to Dean.

"Come on," Henry said, tugging at his hand. Cas chuckled and picked up his suitcase and let himself be pulled up the stairs.

Dean shook his head while he made his way outside. Once outside, he spotted Cas's car parked Right in front of the house. That was the one good thing about small towns: available parking. Cas may not be rich but, judging by the car, his brother sure was. He wondered why Cas didn't ask his brother for the money to buy himself a house. Maybe Cas didn't want to be indebted to his brother. Dean can't fault him. He hated owing people.

He got to the car's trunk and opened it to find two boxes: one medium size box and one small one. While trying to figure out if he wanted to make two trips or just one, he heard a door opened. He looked across the street to see Melinda Jenson walk out. She was wearing dark blue jeans and a tight brown tank top and flip flops. Shit. He totally forgot she was visiting. It looked like the decision was made for him: one tripe it was. He stacked one box on top of the other. He placed them on the floor, quickly closed the trunk door and picked them up again.

"Can't talk now, Melinda," he said, facing her. "Really busy today." He turned on his heel and started walking to the door. He would have sprinted, but these boxes were damn heavy, and he didn't want her to think he was running away from her--which was what he was actually doing.

"Not even for me?" she shrieked after him. He had to restrain from wincing. ' _Definitely not for you_ ,' he thought.

"Sorry," he responded, not feeling sorry at all and thanking whoever was listening that he left the front door open. He walked inside and turned to see her standing by Cas's car. "Sorry," he said again and kicked the door shut with his foot. He really wished she and her grandmother would take the hint already. He was not interested, and it would do them good to focus on someone else. He sighed and made his way up the stair. When he got to the top, he heard voices coming from Cas's room.

He walked to the room, and braced himself up against the door frame just in time to hears Cas say, "Yes. I have five siblings, actually. " Cas was hanging up shirts in the closet while Henry sat on the bed, in front of the opened suitcase.

"Dad, did you hear that? Cas has five brothers and sister," Henry said with wide disbelieving eyes.

"Four brothers and one sister to be precise," Cas said, and both Winchesters turned their head to look at him.

"Really?" Henry asked, and Cas nodded his head.

"That must have been a handful," said Dean.

"Yes," he laughed, "especially if you decide to have the first three one after the other."

"What?"

"My first three brothers are only a year apart. Then the next brother came two year after the last, and then four years later came my sister and I," he explained, smiling at the confused looks on their faces.

"Damn," Dean said then paused. "What do you mean you and your sister came four years later?"

"Twins."

"Aunt Andrea has twins in her tummy," Henry jumped in saying.

 Cas shot Dean and amused smile and turned to Henry. "Aunt Andrea is the one that makes pie whenever you go over, right?" he asked, arching an eyebrow. 

"Yeah," he beamed at Cas, obviously happy that he remembered.

"She's also Benny's wife," Dean added.

"Benny is the one with the mustache and beard that looked a little like a giant teddy bear?" Dean blinked at him while Henry burst out laughing, throwing himself back on the bed.

"Oh my God," Dean said, wide eyed.  "He does, doesn't he?" He then started laughing. He never paid it much attention before, but he got to admit Benny did look like it--a little. "Okay, where do you want me to put these?" he asked after he caught his breathe.

"You can put them down anywhere. I have to empty them out soon," he said. Dean placed them down against the wall next to the door.

"What's in there?" Henry asked.

"Henry," Dean chastised him.

"Books, mostly. And some more clothes, footwear and some other stuff," he explained. ' _Books would explain why they were so heavy_ ,' Dean groused in his head.

"Awesome. Can I see them?" he asked.

"Sure." Henry jumped off the bed and walked towards the boxes but stopped when they heard someone shout 'Dean' from downstairs. That someone sounded a lot like Charlie.

"I'll go see who it is," Dean told them. He already knew who it was, and he was going to kill her. He left the room, walked down the stairs, walked into the living room, and stopped dead in his tracks. Standing in his living room--and sitting as well--was his family--most of them, at least. The only people that were missing were his mom, Jess, and Sam. From the noise coming from the kitchen, he was going to bet they were here afterall. Charlie, Gilda, and Andrea were sitting on the couch. Jo was sitting on one of the arms of the couch with Ash standing right next to her, close to the doorway. Ellen, Bobby, his dad, and Benny were standing on the other side of the couch, opposite the doorway. They were talking amongst themselves, but turned to face him when he walked in. "What the fuck is going on here?" he shouted.

"Where is he?" his dad asked.

"Where is who?" he asked, confused. "Henry?"

"No, Dean," his dad said, exasperated while rolling his eyes. Sam had to get his bitchiness from someone. Right? "Cas--Castiel--whatever his name is."

Dean zeroed in on Charlie and glared at her. He was definitely going to kill her now. He was going dismember her piece by piece and bury them in the four corners of the world. Charlie just curled into herself and tried to hide behind Gilda. "I'll deal with you later," he said, pointing a finger at her. She pushed herself closer to Gilda, and hid her face in her hair. He faced his dad and said, "He's upstairs with Henry."

"Alone?" he said disapprovingly. Dean could almost hear the 'tsk-tsk.'

"Dad--" Dean started to say but was cut off by someone clearing their throat behind him. Dean turned around to find Cas standing behind him with Henry in his arm. Like before, Henry had his head on the hollow of Cas' s shoulder. Unlike last time though, Henry was glaring over Dean's shoulder--no doubt glaring at his grandpa. His dad did just unintentionally called Henry's new favorite person untrustworthy. "Cas," he breathed out. He was trying get him to like them, and his dad really wasn't helping his cause. He couldn't afford to screw this up for Henry.

"Henry wanted to see who was here," he said, "so we came downstairs."

"Oh," he said. He inwardly sighed. It seemed that Cas wasn't offended with what his father said. He could be wrong, and Cas was trying not to show how he really felt. The stoic look on his face was proof enough. His doubts must have also shown on his face because Cas smiled at him. Dean wasn't sure how he did it--know what was going through his mind--but somehow he did. He relaxed, knowing that Cas wasn't offended by his dad. Someone else cleared their throat, and Dean and Cas turned to the side to find his mom standing with Sam and Jess behind her. She was wearing black jeans witha plain white t-shirt. Jess was wearing a white summer dress with red flowers on it. Sam was wearing blue jeans with a gray and white checkered short sleeved buttoned up shirt.

"Who's this?" she asked. Dean wanted to know who any of them was trying fool. They knew he knew why they were all here which meant that they damn well knew who he was.

"This is Cas," Henry said, lifting his head off Cas's shoulder and beamed a smile at her. He turned to Cas and said, "this is Nana."

Cas extended his hand out. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Winchester."

She took his hand in a firm grip, and squeezed. "Call me Mary, and it's nice to meet you, too.

"Mary," Cas said with a nod of his head, no strain to his voice. His mother's grip didn't loosen, and they stood there looking at each other. Dean was trying really hard not to squirm. Sam and Jess looked just as uncomfortable as he did. But Dean really had to give Cas credit for not shying away from his mom's stare. He was really starting to think Cas was going fit right in with the rest of them. If he could handle his mom, then the rest of them would be a piece of cake. After what felt like an eternity,  his mom released his hand and smiled at him. Dean was pretty sure Sam released the breath he was holding. "I'm guessing you're going to want this back," Cas said, giving Henry a little bounce, causing him to giggle.

"Just for a little bit," she smiled at him, reaching with both hands to take him from Cas. Cas happily handed him over, but Henry was the reluctant one. He held on the Cas's shirt but eventually gave up and allowed himself to be separated from Cas. The little internal struggle didn't escape his mother's attention nor Sam or Jess', who started at Dean with slightly widened eyes. Dean shrugged his shoulders a little, not knowing what to tell them. What to tell himself.

Henry gave her a tight hug when he was in her arms, then looked at her. "Cas is going to stay here with us," he told her.

"Really?" she said, quirking an eyebrow.

"Can we cut the bullshit," Dean exclaimed.

"Dean," Cas and his mom chastised him at the same time. They turned their stunned expression on each other. Dean saw his mother's eyes softened, and he knew Cas had won her over. All he needed to do was scold Dean. His parents lived just to give him grief.

"I like you," his mom told Cas, confirming his earlier assessment. Cas smiled widely at her--showing teeth and gum--but Dean could see a faint flush on his cheeks.

"Told you," Henry said to Dean, looking immensely proud of himself.

"Yeah. Yeah," he said, rolling his eyes at him. Cas was doing a good job of winning them over--well, the three of them so far.

"Hey," his mom said to Henry, "wanna help me with lunch? Then maybe later you can help me with the pie?"

He nodded his head emphatically and turned to Cas. "What flavor pie do you like?" Dean had to try really hard to suppress the smile that threaten to break out at the dumbstruck look his mother was giving Henry.

"Umm...any flavor is fine, Henry," he responded, uncomfortably.

Henry shook his head, not satisfied with his answer. "Daddy said everyone has a favorite flavor pie. I like mixed berry the best. Which do you like best?" he prompted.

"Mixed berry," Cas said.

"Cas," he said, exasperated.

"Really, any flavor pie is fine," he assured him. Dean snickered because of course Cas would want to please him.

"Dad," he whined, and Dean raised his hands in defense. "Cas."

"Henry."

"Cas." This time he had a frown on his face and cheeks turning red. Clearly frustrated that Cas wasn't telling him.

"Henry," Cas said, trying to hold back a smile. Dean shouldn't be enjoying this so much, but Henry was puffing out his cheeks, and he could see the pout forming. If he didn't know how mad Henry would be with him, he would have pinched his cheeks by now.

"Cas," he pouted.

"Dean!" Henry turned to glare at him, while Cas gave him an exasperated look, conveying his disbelief, and as if to say 'you're not helping.' Dean grinned widely at them. He wasn't going to miss the chance to do that. And it was Henry's fault for making him watch those movies. He grinned wider at the utterly defeated look his mother gave him. Sam's bitchface and the groans he heard behind him weren't helping either.

"I'm starting to wonder who raised whom here," Cas said to Henry then winked at him.

"Hey!" Dean cried out, affronted, causing a chorus of laughter.

"So?" Henry eagerly asked.

"So...?" Cas said, elongating the 'o' sound. Dean pretty sure he could get used to Cas teasing him.

"Cas!"

"Okay-Okay. Lemon Meringue pie," he confessed. Henry leaned back into his mother hold, smug. Cas just shook his head while Dean was trying to figure out how a three year old could look so smug.

"I don't remember the last time I made lemon meringue pie," his mom said. "I don't even know if remember how to." Henry kinda just deflated in her arms.

"I can show you how," Cas said, and pretty much everyone looked at him in disbelief.

"You bake?" his mom skeptically said.

"You can make pie?" Dean asked in unison with his mother because this was a damn important question. If Cas could bake pies, then he could fucking stay as long as he liked.

Cas looked cautiously at Dean. "I have a feeling I'm going to regret this, but yes. I bake." Dean inwardly cheered. Now, all he had to do was think of a way to subtly get Cas to make them pie. Maybe he could get Henry to do it.

"Wait. Do you just bake?" she asked, narrowing her eyes at him.

"I cook as well," he said.

"How are you not married?" she asked.

"Mom!" Dean screeched. What was with his family and insulting strangers? First he got called untrustworthy, and now something must be wrong with him since he wasn't hitched.

"Spent too much time with my nose buried in a book," he laughed.

"Okay," Dean announced, "I'm pretty sure you guys have food to prepare and a pie to bake." Cas didn't seemed too bothered by them, but he wasn't going to test that much further. ' _What is with this guy?_ ' He should a little irritated, but not once had Dean seen him show any kind of negative reaction towards them. He hadn't shown any discomfort or awkwardness about any of this. He's acting like a good solider--stoic and immovable.

"Yes," she said, "come on, Henry." She turned around and started walking back to the kitchen.

Henry looked back. "Cas?" he called, and his mom stopped walking. Dean wasn't not the only one that heard the little pleading tone in his voice.

"I'll be right behind you, Henry," Cas reassured him. Henry nodded his head and his mom started walking again. "I better get going," he told Dean, who nodded his head. Sam and Jess watched him go, as he passed them on his way to the kitchen. They then followed him. Dean turned to the living room only to find it empty. He cursed under his breath. He should have known that they would have escaped through the door connecting the two rooms. He groaned and walked to his kitchen. He was going to kill all of them when this was over.

When he got to the kitchen, the ladies--minus his mom, who was standing by the stove--were sitting by the island and the guys were standing behind them. Henry was back in Cas's arms, and everyone was wearing shocked expressions. Henry had his head on his shoulder, absentmindedly tapping his fingers on Cas's chest, talking to him.

"Cas isn't going to get much done if he has to carry you everywhere, buddy," Dean joked.

"Cas said that I can help him," he said, not even moving from his position or seizing his tapping.

"Cas is going to be baking, so he's going to need both his hand, bud," he explained.

"I--I," he stammered then sat upright with a concentrated look on his face. His face lit up and he said, "Nana can do it, and we'll help. Right? We can tell her what to do."

"Henry," Dean admonished. He got that he wanted to spend as much time with Cas as possible, but that didn't mean that he can go bossing people around.

"How about you help your nana make a mixed berry pie, and I'll make the lemon meringue pie, and we can trade later on," Cas suggested. He used index finger to tickle him, causing him to giggle. "What do you say? Want to trade favorite pie flavors?" He arched an eyebrow at him. "If I remember correctly, you shared your favorite Poptarts' flavor with me, but I didn't get to share mine. This is my chance make up for that."

"Dad shared his too," he pointed out.

"I guess I have to make it up to both of you then," he teased.

"Yeah," he smiled. Cas kissed his forehead and his smile got wider. Cas then put him down. Henry walked over his grandmother and tugged at her hand. "Come on, Nana. You need to help me make a pie to trade with Cas."

"Hold on, Henry," she said, "We have plenty of time for that. You can help us get everything set for lunch first." He slumped his shoulders a little and pouted a little.

Cas walked over and rumpled his hair. He angled his head backward and looked up at Cas. "It's really early, Henry. If we make the pies now, it's going to be too cold to eat later on. Nobody want's cold pie," he said, scrunching his nose.

"Okay," he softly said.

While the two of them were looking at each other, everyone else was staring at Dean. What could he tell them? Cas was really affectionate with Henry, and Henry was extremely responsive to it. Not only was he responsive, but he gave everything Cas said the same amount of attention and consideration he would give anything Dean said. It was almost as if he saw Cas as another parent, and Dean really didn't  want to think about that, or the tiny bit of emotion that welled up in his chest. He didn't know what it is, but it felt a little like hope. Because he was Dean, he did what he does best and pushed it down. He  looked up to see something flashed across his mother's eyes, but she turned away from him before he could parse anything.

Cas looked at his mom and asked, "What were you planning on making?"

"It's sort of a tradition to do barbecue whenever we all get together, and this week it's Dean's turn to play host," she said. Dean looked incredulously at her. He knew she was lying. He also knew she was purposely avoiding his gaze. Family dinners only happen every two weeks, and they decided to do it next week instead since they had that big party for Sam two weeks ago. They also decided that Bobby and Ellen were going to host.

"Oh," he said.

"Yep. The men grill, while the ladies get the side dishes ready. And Henry take turns helping out or just runs about doing God knows what. "

"I bet he does," Cas teased, a fond smile on his face.

"Nana said I'm a really good little helper," he proudly stated, chest puffing out slightly.

"Really?"

"Yeah," he delightedly said.

"Maybe she'll be willing to share," Cas said and grinned at him.

Henry whipped his head around look at Dean's mom so fast that Dean was afraid his head would snap off. "Nana?" he said in a gentle and somewhat pleading voice. Everyone just melted into a puddle of goo then. He even pulled out the puppy dog eyes that he learned for Sam.

"I don't mind," she said, cupping one of his cheek and softly rubbing her thumb across it. He leaned into her touch, and grinned at her. "We have a lot to do," she said after some time, but no-one made a move. Henry was looking at them all confused while Dean felt dread overcome him. They all wanted to know more about Cas and moving right now would alienate all the men to the backyard and the women to the kitchen. Such was the Winchester dynamic because--save for Dean--the men couldn't cook to save their lives, and teaching them hadn't been a successful endeavor--at all. If Dean left Cas with the women, they would try to weasel any information they could get out of him. If he took him with him, the men would just intimidate him and send Dean inside every chance they got to interrogate him. He would have let them, but he didn't want to take the chance that they might say the wrong thing, causing Cas to decide that this wasn't worth it. They meant well, but they didn't see Henry when Cas first got here, and how hard he hung on. Sure they saw how much he liked Cas, but he knew that they were think what he was beginning to think was very untrue: that was them Henry would lose interest. But Henry wanted this guy around for as long as possible.

While Dean was trying not to explode, Cas started to chuckle. Everyone stared at him skeptically.

"You all don't do subtlety very well," he snorted. "I'm going to take a stab in the dark here and assume Dean didn't invite any of you here." He arched an eyebrow at them. They at least had the decency to look chagrined.  "So, what do you want to know?"

"What?" Dean asked. He wasn't the only wearing a confused face.

"That's why you are all here, right? You want to get to know me," he elaborated, "so ask away." Oh. He expected this.This sorta did explain why none of this seemed to faze him. But _why?_

"Where are you from?"

"How old are you?"

"How did you meet?"

"Why Lawrence?"

"What are your intentions towards my grandson?"

"Do you have a criminal record?" All heads turned as one to look at Charlie. "What? He said 'ask away,'" she said, affronted like she didn't get why they would be staring at her like that--like she did something wrong.

"Okay, maybe not everything," he said, dubiously, "and no. I do not."

"Are you sure?" she insisted. Dean was mentally plotting his own demise. Why did they have to do this?

"Yes," he said, then added, "I wouldn't have gotten a job if I did," when it looked like she was going to persist. 

"Okay," she sullenly said. Dean was starting to wonder what the hell was going on with her. She should be happy about this. He was going to have to ask her about this later.

"Cas--" Dean started to say but was cut off by Cas.

"It's fine, Dean," he smiled at him. "It was going to happen sooner or later. This isn't the first time." He chuckled at that.

"What do you mean?" Henry asked, beating the rest of them.

Cas picked him up, making sure he was facing him. It really said a lot that Henry didn't fuss, just willingly went with Cas. Henry saw Cas moved forward, and he merely opened his arms without much thought, and went with Cas like it was the most natural thing in the world, or they had been doing it all their lives. "Remember I told your Dad and Aunt Charlie that I used to babysit?" he softly asked, like he and Henry were the only ones in the room. Henry nodded his head and he continued saying, "Well, I did it a lot, and I have met a lot of family members. You can say that I'm used to it." He place a kiss on his nose next. Dean took this time to look at his family's reaction. He knew that they were waiting for the dismissal, but he also knew that it wouldn't come. Like he predicted shock and utter disbelief was chief among their reactions. He wanted to think that Henry was only allowing it because he was elated that Cas was here, but he was starting to think that what was and wasn't didn't really apply to Cas.

"You used to babysit?" Jess asked, smiling kindly at him. Dean smiled. He could always count on her to not mess things up.

"Yes. My father thought it would be a good character building to find a job that I could do after school."

"Why babysitting?"

"My neighbor needed someone to look after her four year old, and I accepted. I ended up loving it and decided to do that," he shrugged.

"How long have you done it for?"

"Hmm?" he mused, titling his head to the side with a thoughtful expression on his face. It wasn't only a confused quirk but a thinking one as well. "I started at sixteen and did it for two years after that--untiI I graduated from high school. Then four years after that when I was an undergrad, but that was mostly tutoring than actual babysitting," he said after a little amount of time. "I stopped after that to focus on my doctorate."

"What have a doctorate?!" Sam exclaimed, startling everyone.

"Sam," Jess reprimanded, not even looking back at him.

"Sorry," he shyly apologized, causing everyone to laugh. His brother was completely whipped.

"Yes, Sam. I have a doctorate in Mythological and folklore studies. I also have a masters in religious studies." Dean knew he was a professor, but Cas never mention he had a doctorate, not to mention a masters as well!

"What are you guys talking about?" Henry huffed out, pouting.

"Something you don't have to worry about for years to come," Cas laughed. Henry didn't stop pouting though, causing Cas to laugh all over again.

"Cas!" he whined, and Dean chuckled to himself. "Dad!" Dean barked out a laugh.

"Okay. Okay," Cas said, noting his increasingly miffed expression. "If you must know," he said and gave him another little bounce, "we were talking about certificates that someone gets that showed how much time they spent studying something."

"Like the one Uncle Sammy has in his office?" he asked.

"Yeah, buddy," Sam interjected. Henry looked at him them looked back at Cas to see if his uncle was correct. Dean had to bite his lip to stop himself from laughing at Sam's open mouth expression. Before, Henry would believed anything he told him and go to him when Dean wasn't around to ask anything he wanted to know. Looks like his little brother was going to have to learn how to share.

"Yes, Henry, just like your uncle said," he warily said, looking at Sam. Sam mouthed 'it's fine' to him, and Cas nodded.

"You said you have two," he abruptly stated, sitting up straight lightening quick.

"You know about the first," at Henry's nod he continued, "the second one is in religion."

"Like church!" he shouted, clearly happy with himself that he made the connection.

"Yes," he said, nodding his head slowly. "I study different kind of churches."

"Nana goes to church every Sunday. She takes Grandpa with her, but he told me me doesn't like going. He said that Nana wakes him really early to go. Daddy takes me with him when he goes. He doesn't go all the time like Nana does. He doesn't know that I know that he only goes when Nana tells him to go. Everyone goes expect for Grandpa Bobby, Grammy, and Aunty Charlie. Uncle Ash has never went to one and still doesn't. They said that they don't like it. I don't like it either because I have to sit too long. Sometimes I go outside to play with the other kids, but a lot of  them are older than me, so I stay with Daddy more. Daddy likes to mess with Uncle Sammy. He throws paper balls at him. One time he hit Mrs. Jenson, and we had to hide, and she blamed Uncle Sammy--"

"I knew it was you!" Sam shouted. "You said it wasn't you and you blamed Paul!" Paul was the pastor's grandson, who got forced to go to church to refine himself. He even wanted to take the blame for hitting old Mrs. Jenson

"About that," Dean said embarrassed, while rubbing the back of his head.

"She gave a whole lecture about how I should act in church," he glared. Dean nervously chuckled.

"I for one would really like to hear about your father's love for church," his mom butted in saying. However, she fixed him with a glare that said they will be talking about this later as his father shifted nervously on his feet.

"This is better than I expected," Ash said, nudging Benny with his elbow.

"You don't like the other kids?" Cas asked, ignoring everything else that's going around him and earning their attention.

"The bigger kids hang out with their friends, and I play by myself," he said. This was the first time Dean was hearing this. He always thought that Henry just liked spending time with him. That was why he didn't go outside that often.

"Isn't there someone your age?"

"There's Holly, but all she wants to do is play with her dolls," he said with a look of pure disgust on his face. "We played tag one time, and she didn't want to be it when I caught her."

"That's not fair," Cas sympathetically said. "Did any of the bigger kids ever play with you?" Cas put his hand on the back of his head and started massaging his scalp again. Henry rested his head on Cas shoulder and shook his head. Dean felt his heart break a little.

"They didn't want to play. They wanted to talk about books and video games," he muttered into Cas's shoulder. "They're really boring. Why would they want to talk about books?"

"Hey! I talk about books," he feigned being hurt.

"But you're awesome," he chuckled. "The stories they talk about are boring. Uncle Ash tells better stories." He made a soft sigh when Cas rubbed a sensitive spot on his head.

"You don't want to hang out with the bigger kids because they're boring," Cas affirmed.

"Yeah," he said. Everyone relaxed after that. It looked like he didn't want to play them, and wasn't ostracized. He lifted his head off Cas's shoulder and looked at him confused, as if that wasn't a perfectly reasonable excuse. "It's more fun to stay with Dad. We sometimes play games on his phone."

"You're dad really doesn't like church," he teased, causing him to giggle. "He's really great though, letting you stay with him, and making sure you're having fun."

Dean's breathing hitched at that. He was so used to pity. People would stare at the mechanic who worked at his father's shop, and who was left to raise a kid on his own. When people would comment on how happy Henry was, he can hear the surprise in their voices. He can hear the silent 'I'm surprised you didn't fuck this up.' He couldn't do anything about it, just accept their ill-formed praise. Now, he didn't hear pity. He heard genuine praise. He could tell he meant it by how tenderly he was looking at Henry. He wasn't just letting Dean know but Henry as well. He was letting them know that he could see how much they cared about each other. Dean's heart was beating so fast just watching them smiling at each other. He should learn to trust his son more because Cas was definitely someone that he would want around.

"Yeah," Henry beamed at him. "He's the best!"

"I think that's enough sharing for now," Dean announced because he didn't know how more watching Cas and Henry his heart can take. The twinkle in his mother's eyes was also starting to weird him out. "At this rate, we're not going to get anything done." If they wanted to know anything about Cas, they were going to have ask him directly--under his watchful eye, of course.

"Dean's right. We have a lot of cooking to do, since half of you have bottomless pits for stomachs," his mom said with a little shake of her head. "Cas, you can help me with the cutting."

"Sure," he said with a nod of his head then his features softened. "Sorry for making you miss church." And just like that, Dean could see all his mother's defenses slowly chipped away. Cas heard how much she cared about her religion, and he knew he was the reason she wasn't at church today.

"It's fine, sweety," she smiled at him. "If anything, I got to see my grandson. Knowing Dean, they would have ended up in front of the TV the whole day. Where all that pie goes is anyone's guess." Everyone laugh then laughed harder at Henry's confusion.

"Come on, buddy. Cas is going to need his hands back," Dean said, approaching Henry with his arms out.

"But I wanna stay with Cas," he petulantly said.

"I know. You're stay in the kitchen and help them, but you're going to have to let go," Dean said as he took a step closer.

"I will," he assured him.

"Then why is hand gripping tighter on his collar?" he said, amused. Before Henry could deny it, Cas leaned forward and whispered something in his ear.

"Okay," he said when Cas moved away. He went willingly into Dean's arm then. Dean arched an eyebrow at Cas, who mouthed 'don't worry' to him. He nodded his head, feeling he could trust him with Henry.

"Why don't you give me Henry?" Jess said, getting up from her seat and coming to stand next to him. "And you guys can get the grill, table, and chairs all set up outside." Dean sighed. It looked like the women were going to have the first crack at Cas. Henry went into Jess' s open arms, and Dean just barely contained his groan. He was hoping Henry would have not wanted to let go, forcing Dean to stay with him where he could keep an eye on Cas. But it looked like Cas was the only one he didn't want to let go.

"Go on, dear," his mom said, "he'll be fine." To an outsider it would seemed as if she was talking about Henry, but he knew she meant Cas. He relaxed a little. Cas already won his mother over, so Dean could count on her to look out for him.

"I guess there's no use arguing now," he defeatedly said. He walked passed them and went out into the backyard. He didn't need to worry so much. His mom and Henry were with Cas, so he didn't need to worry about them scaring him away. Now that he thought about it, it did seem that Henry has Cas wrapped around his little fingers. ' _That's my boy_ ,' he thought to himself.

~~~★~~~

Cas couldn't keep the smile off his face. Anyone would have a smile on their face after being around someone as cute as Henry. Cas thought back to when he was cutting as he placed the potato salad on the table. Mary sat Henry on the countertop and gave him some peas to snap the heads off and separate them. She wanted to leave him by the island, but he didn't want to leave Cas by himself at the counter cutting. She shook her head and put him on the counter next to him. Cas had stopped cutting and stared at him. He had a look of concentration on his face like he made it his life's mission to separate all those peas. Cas couldn't get over how well developed his speech was. It also astonished him how Henry could stay so focus for so long. Normal kids would be buzzing about right now, but he was really focused on his task.

He knew he shouldn't get so attached to him, but he couldn't stop himself after Henry held on so tight when he got here. It nearly broke his heart when he was massaging his head, and he made that wounded sound when he stopped. After that he let him be as clingy as he wanted. Maybe Anna was right, and Henry needed him. He knew Dean gave his son more than enough attention, that much was obvious, but maybe he needed a new face in his life. He was going to take whatever he could get. It was going to hurt when they wouldn't see each other as much, but this was better than not having anything at all. He just needed to focus on Henry and just him, which wouldn't be a problem if Henry continued to be this attached. Dean's family was another good distraction, since they were all interesting people with very distinct backgrounds. He could focus on them and not on Dean. He could absolutely do that.

"Hey, Dean!" Charlie shouted as she walked out the house, startling him out of his thoughts. They had decided to do dinner outside. It was too hot outside during lunch to stay outside, even with the shade, but perfect now. They had instead stayed inside, and used Dean's dining table. Cas was surprised if fit them all, which it shouldn't have, but it did. Their family was pretty big, and it only made sense that they have an equally big table. It amused him greatly that he had it set up behind his couch with a clear view of the TV.

Dean and his father ceased their conversation and turned to the side to look at her. His breathing hitched when the setting sun illuminated the side of Dean face. The light made his already perfectly tanned skinned skin shine like pure untouched gold. The sun left streaks of gold in his hair that Cas wanted to card through with his fingers. The sun shone through his eyes eyes making them the brightest green he has ever seen. It felt like looking up to see the sun shine through the leaves of a tree. Cas turned  around when he realized what he was doing. He instantly started berating himself for doing what he sworn against. He was doing so well, too.

"Was is necessary to scream?" he asked, and Cas could imagine the scowl on his face. The others started to pour out the house after her when Cas turned around, having finally gotten himself together.

"Dad!" Henry yelled, running out the house and navigating his way through the forest of people in front of him. He stopped in front of Dean, and looked up at him, horrified. "There's no ice cream left. You need ice cream, Dad. Come on!" He grabbed hold of Dean's hand and started to drag him back into the house. Dean looked wided eyed at him then he rolled his eyes. Cas went back to setting up the things on the table, and soon Mary came to stand beside him. She set the casserole down.

"She left them, didn't she?" Cas glumly said. He saw Mary tense up, then tiredly sighed--more from the subject than fatigue.

"How did you guess?" she quietly asked. She may as well have shouted it, the way the backyard fell silent when he asked the question.

"Henry had in some way or form mentioned everyone of you and something about you, but not once did he talk about his mom," he confessed. He faced her and continued saying, "at first I thought that maybe she died, but Dean looks far too happy about it being just him and Henry. He doesn't look like someone who lost the mother of his child." He didn't mention the resigned expressions Dean made when he saw the others acting like a couple, like he expected to be alone.

"Well, you haven't seen him when Henry isn't around," Charlie said, "he looks li--"

"Like someone who has accepted being alone for the rest of his life?" Cas asked, not even looking at her. ' _It looked like they noticed it, too_ ' he thought. "That's why I believe she left them and didn't die. When my mom died, we knew that my dad wouldn't love anyone they way he loved my mom, and he accepted being alone for the rest of his life. He was fine with that because he had his kids. Dean has Henry, but when he looked at the rest of you, he sees something that he believed he will never have." Cas felt a sharp pain in his chest because it hurt that Dean didn't think he deserved that, and it hurt knowing that he couldn't be the one to give it to him. He gave Mary a sad look and quietly said, "she must have really broken his heart for him to lose hope?" His eyes widened when he saw her attempt to say someting but stopped herself. "Or it happened again?" he breathed out. Not only had the mother of his child left him but the next person he opened his heart to did as well. He would give anything to wrap himslef around him and shelter him from the world.

"It happened once before and then after," she brokenly confessed. "After that he devoted all his time to work, us, and Henry." He thanked God that he could masked his emotion well when he needed to because if he couldn't, she would have surely seen how part of his soul cracked at that. He couldn't imagine falling in love three times, and then having them just walk out his life. Then and there Cas promised himself that what little time they have together, he was going to try his best to make them happy. Even though he would never truly have them, he would try and be there friends and do what he can to help them. Maybe if he's lucky, he'll be able to convince Dean that does deserve what the others have. He would make sure he was around so that he never felt that kind of heartbreak again. Maybe Anna was wrong and he didn't need to help Henry, but Dean instead. ' _God, please let me help him. Please let me save him. He doesn't deserve this_ ,' he prayed.

~~~★~~~

"Can we have pie now?" Henry asked from his perch on Cas's lap. He tipped his head back, and looked up at Cas. Cas bend his head down and kissed Henry's forehead, causing him to giggle. Dean smiled at them. He had been doing that a lot since Cas got here. Something about the way he interacted with Henry really got under his skin. He should be wary of the guy that had so much power over his son, but he trusted Cas. He hadn't been here a full day, and Dean could leave his alone with Henry and know he was safe and cared for. Even having him here had made him feel lighter than he had in a long time. The problem with this was that he didn't know why. Why was it that his chest got a little tight when looking at them? Why was it that he went all warm inside watching Cas laugh with his mom? What was that feeling that bubbled up when he watched Cas pretend to know something about cars when he was cornered by his dad and Bobby?

"You're corrupting him," his mom said from her seat next to him, pulling him from his thoughts. He was startled a little then was completely baffled when she smirked at him.

"What?"

"You're corrupting, Henry," she repeated with the smirk still on her face.

"Am not," he defended. He shifted a little in his seat.

"Here's your pie," Jess said, setting down the lemon meringue pie in front of Cas and Henry. Cas decided to use Deam's clear glass pie dish to ensure that the filling baked through evenly. From the looks of it, the pie filling turned out pretty great. The meringue was prefectly golden brown, and rosed shaped--which Cas denied was intentional. The lemon smell was invading his nose, making his mouth water. Dean had to admit Henry wasn't the only anxious to try Cas's pie. Dean really wanted to see if the good professor was any good at baking.

"Thank you, Jess," Cas said to her and took the pie server she held out. He turned to Dean next. "How much pie is he allowed to have?" Cas then smiled, almost as if he could sense the pout on Henry's face.

"A small slice," he chuckled. 

"Sorry, Henry," Cas said and kissed the top of his head. He held the pie server to the center of the pie, then he dig it in. He made one straight line from the center out, then moved about an inch to the left, and repeated the process. He gently put the server under the piece he cut and lifted it out. He put on the plate Jess left without anything falling. That wasn't an easy feat, considering he had a child on your lap. He placed the server on a napkin and pulled to pie towards him. "For the little prince," Cas said. Everyone chuckled because Henry was pretty much treated like a prince. Henry picked up his plastic fork and held it out to Cas, who grinned at him before the taking it. Cas used the fork to cut off a a tiny piece. He scooped it up, and leaned down to get a better view of Henry's face. He brought the fork up the Henry's already opened mouth. Silence filled the backyard while everyone waited for the verdict.

"That was awesome!" Henry shouted, eyes opened wide in slight disbelief but filled with an insane amount of joy. His whole face lit up, and he leaned closer to the table and pie. "It's better that Nana's!" He got embarrassed and pushed back closer to Cas, borrowing into him. He bowed his head, refusing to look at anyone, causing everyone to laugh at him.

"It's okay, Henry," his mom said, and he finally looked up at her, "you're allowed to like someone else pie." She lightly chuckled after saying that.

"Okay," he quietly said with a nod of his head.

"Let me try that,"Dean said, holding out his hand for the fork. Cas handed him the fork and pushed the plate in his direction. Dean took a piece of pie which ended up being almost half of the pie. The moment he bit down, the meringue instantly melted on the roof of his. It was like cotton candy; it came apart on first contact, and flooded his mouth with a sugar induced lemony goodness. The filling was nothing short of perfect. It was just cool enough, and his teeth cut through it like butter. He couldn't possibly think of a way it could be better until he got to the crust on the bottom. It was fluffy and soft, making him feel like he was biting through freshly sliced baked bread. He thanked the pie Gods that the crust wasn't tough to get through. He always hated that. With all of that combined, Dean couldn't stop the moaned that escaped his lips and pierced the silent backyard. He opened his eyes--which he didn't realized he closed--to look at the dumbstruck expression on everyone's face. "That was one damn good pie," he said, not even caring that everyone was just staring at him. Everyone attacked after that.

"Give it here."

"Give me the fork, Winchester."

"I want a taste."

"It's that good?"

"THAT'S MINE!" Henry yelled over all of them, halting their movements. He had his arms crossed across his chest with a pout on his face. They all wore embarrassed expressions and some bowed their head.

"Sorry, bud," Dean apologized. He pushed the plate back and handed Cas the fork. He couldn't help but laugh when Henry automatically opened his mouth when the fork touched Cas's hand. Dean quickly took the remaining pie when his mom took a step forward. "Ah-ah-ah. The man of the house gets first dibs," he said in a teasing manner.

"You already got a taste," Charlie glared at him.

"Yes. A taste," he said in a justified tone, "which means I need to do a more thorough investigation to see that it was good." He picked up the pie server and mimicked what Cas had done before.

"Dean, that piece is huge!" Charlie shouted.

"No, it's not," he petulantly defended. His mother rolled his eyes at him, and everyone else shot him some sort of irritated look. He didn't understand why they were surprised by this. He picked up a plastic fork and took a bit of his pie before anyone could take it away from him. And by anyone, he meant his mother.

"You don't want pie?" Henry asked Cas. Dean looked at them, managing to separated himself from his pie and unaware of smudge of meringue on the left corner of his mouth.

"Yeah. It's inside and I'll ge--"

"I'll get it," Henry cut him off and jumped off his lap. He pushed past Benny and Bobby, who were blocking his way, and ran into the house.

"Where is he even going?" his mom said with a shake of her head. "He can't even reach it." She took the same path Henry did but stopped before she entered the house. "There better be some pie left when I get back," she warned and continued walking. Dean snickered around the pie in his mouth and at the distressed looks on everyone's face, minus Cas, who quirked the left side of his mouth.

"I should have made more," Cas stated.

"Yeah," Ellen smirked.

"Maybe next time," he said, smiling at her. Ellen smiled back at him. Dean froze with his fork mere inches from his face. He had never seen Ellen warm up to someone that quickly. He internally berated himself--yet again--for not believing Henry. Cas was going to fit right in.

"Are you going to be around for the next family gather?" Charlie inquired. Dean glared at her. He didn't get why she was so against Cas. He was a nerd like her, and they would naturally like each other. He knew she saw his glare out of the corner of her eye.

"Don't know," Cas shrugged.

"I guess it doesn't matter," She said. "You'll just have to bake another before you leave." She smiled at him. Dean could tell that it was genuine, but there was something sad behind it. Was she sad that he had to leave? She didn't appear to like him, and now she was somehow  sadden by the fact he had to leave. He was going to have to get her alone and ask what the hell was going on with her.

No-one got a chance to say anything else, because the heard the back door opening. Out came Henry, holding a pie with his tiny hands, and his mom, who had a pie in each hand.

"Here!" he cheerfully said, handing the pie to Cas. His mom sat the two pie she was holding on the table--apple and cherry.

"Thank you, Henry," Cas smiled at him and took the pie. Cas set it down and took the other pie server Dean's mom held out. He cut himself a decent size slice--well, any slice was decent compared to Dean's. He put it on the empty plate Henry had used. He grabbed a fork and took a piece. He brought it up to his mouth but didn't eat it. He looked down at Henry and his eager expression but still didn't eat it.

"Cas," Henry complained, but he had a smile on his face. Cas finally took a bite and chewed slowly. "Cas," he whined this time, getting a chuckle out of Cas.

"It's really good," Cas said.

"Really?" he asked.

"Yes. Pretty soon you'll be making it on your own," Cas replied. Henry beamed at him, having accepted the praise. Everyone smiled at the two of them.

"Dean Nathaniel Winchester. You take another slice of that pie and so help me God," his mom sternly warned, not even looking back at him. Dean sat there stock still with the other pie server in one hand and the other hand on the the edge of the pie dish.

"Dean!" Charlie protested. Henry started laughing, and Dean didn't care that he wasn't going to get more pie. Nothing could compare to seeing his kid laugh.

~~~★~~~

"Cas is pretty great," Charlie said, as she came to a stop next to Mary at the sink. Mary sighed, stopped washing the plate in her hand and turned off the water. "Whoa," Charlie said, taken back. "I thought you liked him!"

"Charlie. Quite," Andrea reprimanded her.

Henry had dragged Cas outside so that he could play catch with him because he couldn't sit still any longer. Cas had offered to help clean up since he didn't feel like he did much. She told him no, but he refused to listen. Mary couldn't say no to Henry when he turned those puppy dog eyes on her, asking if she would let Cas come play with them, even though Cas wanted to help out.  She couldn't say no when saw the utter adoration plastered on Cas's face when he looked at him. She couldn't say no to Cas who looked at Henry like he was everything he could possible want in life, and she couldn't blame him. Henry was pretty special. She definitely couldn't say no to him when he promised that he wouldn't tire Cas out if she said yes. The bone crushing hug she got when she said yes was worth it.

Mary sighed again. "I would have liked him more if he was a girl." ' _Or at least gay_ ,' she thought to herself. She saw how Dean looked at him. The fond and loving look that overtook his face whenever he would look at Cas and Henry.  The poor kid didn't even realize he was falling for the guy. That was the part that made this so much harder because he was going to fall and get his heartbroken again. She turned a sad smile onto Charlie. It looked like she wasn't the only one who saw it.

Charlie's entire composure slumped, crumpling the forest green short sleeved polo shirt she wore with her favorite blue jeans. "You noticed that, too?" she said with a sad smiled that mirrored the one Mary was wearing. Now, she understood why Charlie was wary of him. She knew what was going to happen.

"Noticed what?" Gilda asked, and the two of them turned around to face the others. Mary smiled at her. She was wearing a red strapless, knee high dress. Mary wished she would wear red more often--it was a good color on her.

"That if Cas was a girl, we would have all been demanding Dean to ask her out," Jess glumly replied.

"I don't understand," Andrea said. She was wearing a royal-blue, knee high dress that showed off her six month old baby bump.

"Cas is perfect. He's smart and funny," Charlie said.

"He can cook, and we can all tell he's great with kids. Henry practically worships him," Jess added.

"Not to mention he's kind, and he may not look it but he's strong and damn stubborn. If anyone could stand with Dean through thick and thin, I strongly believe it would be him," Mary finished.

"He looks like someone that wouldn't give up on a person," Jess said, "and that's someone Dean needs."

Cas may sometimes appears stoic, but his eyes told all. She saw how broken he was when he found out about Dean's past. He proved he had a kind heart. In that moment, she didn't care about having another daughter-in-law; she wanted Cas. He was everything Dean needed. But it didn't matter what she wanted because sometimes life wasn't fair. He may be what Dean needed but Dean wasn't what he needed. He showed no inkling of attraction like Dean had. He attention was focused on Henry the most and only glanced at Dean a couple of times and didn't look for long. She had caught Dean staring multiple times when he thought no-one was looking. She saw how confused he got when he couldn't figure out what he was feeling. She wanted to flat out tell him he liked him, and what he was feeling when looking at Cas interact with Henry was love and want--he just don't realize it yet because he had never experienced this kind before. All of that didn't matter because Cas was going to find some girl and make a wonderful husband. They would just have to settle for being his friends.

"He needs someone to take care of him as much as he takes care of the rest of us," Ellen stated. Save for Charlie, everyone was thinking that Dean needed a girl version of Cas, when all he really needed was Cas. Mary couldn't blame them. Even though they were all close, She and Charlie were the only ones that Dean was ever truly unguarded towards. They both saw they way he looked at Cas, and they knew enough about Dean to know where this was going. There was nothing they could do to stop it. Dean was going to get hurt because the one thing he wanted he couldn't have. Cas would never want to hurt Dean but there was nothing he could do about that. ' _The only way would be if he could miraculously turn gay_ ,' she sadly mused in her head.

"Dean would never be with someone that he didn't believe would love Henry as much as he does--"

"And Cas could be that person," Jess said cutting off Mary.

"I think Cas already loves him that much," Charlie said, smiling at Mary.

Mary nodded her head. She had seen how Cas acted around Henry. He acted like any parent would. He would watch him out the corner of eyes, making sure he was okay, even when he was doing another task. She had seen how they were when the talked to each other. It was almost as if the world didn't exist when they were talking. Cas would give him his undivided attention and hang on every word he said. Then she saw how affectionate they were with each other. Whenever Henry had Cas lift him up, it looked like he couldn't snuggle close enough, and Cas looked both amused and pleased by it. There was also their non-verbal communication. Whenever Henry got close to Cas would tickle him, or ruffle his hair, or lift him up, and it would ended up being what he wanted. Mary would notice the joy in both their eyes--Henry, from getting what he wanted, and Cas, from getting it right. It would appear that they fell for each other, and she was willing to bet it was before today.

"Would it kill it for someone up there to just give him a little bit of happiness instead of waving it in his face?" Jess angrily asked. "And people wonder why he doesn't believe in God."

No one commented after that. They were too busy listening to the laughter coming from the backyard. It was pretty late out now, but the neighbors were used to them being loud. The most prominent laugh was Henry's, who appeared to have just stole the ball from Cas, who --from what they can see from the kitchen window--was chasing after him. The second loudest laugh they could hear was Dean, who hand arm across his stomach, hunched over, laughing at the two of them. Mary was having a hard time holding on to her faith while looking at the happiness on her son and grandson's face--a happiness she wanted so badly for them with the person she's starting to consider family. She closed her eyes when she felt tears welling up. ' _Please don't do this to them_ ,' she prayed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I gave Dean a middle name, because why not?


	5. Parameter: Integration

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cas makes a place for himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *sigh* I write too much, but I can't help it. Hope you guys enjoy the chapter, and thanks for reading.

Dean groggily opened his eyes. He stared at his pearl white ceiling--and the little dent in it from the time he thought it would be fun to juggle some hammers--not even thinking of anything. He turned to his right and saw that it was 6:35 in the morning. He groaned and when back to staring at the ceiling. 'Mondays,' he cursed in his head. It was no use going back to sleep now. He was going to have to get up in about twenty-five minutes to get ready for work, make breakfast for Henry and get him ready.He grateful that his dad decided to open the shop at nine, or he would never be able to get out of bed. His mind wandered to if Mrs. Smith would be able to watch Henry today.

Elizabeth Smith was the elderly women that lived three doors down from him. She was Dean's go-to when he needed a babysitter. As much as he would love to have Henry with him the whole day, he couldn't have his three year old running around an auto shop. She would watch Henry whenever she can, and when she couldn't, Dean had to rely on his family. If those two didn't work out, then he had to take him to work.

Dean was a little relieved that he was going to start pre-school this coming September. It's going to be a pain in the ass to pay, but it was going to be for Henry's wellbeing. He would get to hang out with kids his age and be kept entertained. What all Dean really wanted was take Henry with him wherever he went, but he couldn't, so he was going to have to deal with that.

Even though he was tired all over, Dean couldn't help the smile that forced its way through his lips thinking about yesterday. Henry couldn't stop grinning. He was grinning from the second Cas got here, and didn't stop. In fact, his grin only grew when he saw how well everybody else was getting along with Cas. He went about grinning at everyone he saw. Dean almost expected him to start humming.

His favorite thing above all was to run up to Cas to get his attention. Dean was still in awe of how well they interacted with each other. Henry would go up to Cas, and Cas would run his fingers through his hair without diverging from his conversation. Henry would close his eyes and relish in the feeling, not even caring that everyone else was looking at him, and Cas wasn't even look at him. Forget humming, Dean really expected him to start purring right then and there.

At first, Dean wanted to believe that it was due to his years of babysitting that made so good with kids, but there was more to it than that. It felt as if in some deep-seated way, Henry and Cas got each other, and they didn't need words to know what the other was thinking. He had walked in the kitchen and stopped dead in his tracks enough time to believe that. Henry didn't even need ask for anything; Cas somehow knew what he wanted and gave it to him--whether it was a taste of what he was making or letting Henry cling onto him. That was another thing that got Dean. Henry didn't care that he was interrupting Cas. He didn't open his arms, but Cas would pick him up, and he would automatically hold on to some part of Cas's shirt. He would play with his collar or snuggle close to Cas, unaware or uncaring that Cas was doing something or talking to someone. The crazy thing was that Cas knew when to put him down as well. There was no squirming or demanding, he just put Henry down, and Henry went on his way, grinning. Dean was past caring right then. If his son was happy, and Cas didn't mind, then he was perfectly fine with it all.

He didn't even realize it at the time, but yesterday was the most he had laughed in a long time. He had said yesterday that Cas made everything lighter, and he was truly starting to believe that. It felt fantastic. He had all his family together, and he didn't have to worry about anything. He didn't even need to worry about work, the house, but more importantly, he didn't need to worry about Henry. He didn't have to constantly look over his shoulder to make sure that he was okay and not getting himself into any form of trouble. He had his family to share his worry, and he knew he could count on them. Then he had Cas, which just made everything better. He knew without a doubt that his family loved Henry, but he strongly believed that Cas's love for his son could rivaled his own. It literally took his breath away. He didn't know why, but it felt wonderful having someone that would give his son the same love and attention he would. He couldn't put into words how it felt seeing Cas pay so much attention to whatever Henry was doing. He couldn't remember the last time he was able to actually relax, knowing that someone was looking out for his son. He got to truly enjoy the company of his family. Right now it felt like Cas was helping him out more that he was. He knew that what he was doing for Cas didn't compare to the joy he gave his son.

Speaking of joy. Yesterday was probably one the happiest times of Henry's life. It was hilarious watching Henry drag Cas out of the house to play catch with him. He didn't even asked the rest of them, just told them where they were supposed to stand. Dean half expected him to spend a majority of the time throwing the ball--his favorite bright red plastic ball, the size of a cantaloupe--at Cas, but he was generous and didn't pick favorites. Half-way through the game, Henry decided to switch things up. He went from standing across from Cas to standing next to him and had the rest of them form a circle. While play, Dean got an idea. When Cas wasn't paying attention, he got Henry's attention. He winked at Henry--their little code--and everyone except Cas smirked at them. When he got the ball, he made a move to throw the ball to Cas, but at the last minute, he threw it a foot in front of Cas. Henry ran in front of Cas, and caught the ball before Cas could. He turned around, and Dean knew he was smiling at Cas--teeth showing, and eyes tightly pressed together. Cas had his mouth opened a bit and staring disbelievingly at him. He looked up, zeroed in on Dean, and narrowed his eyes at him. He looked back at Henry and told him he was going to get him for that. Cas launched forward, and Henry gave a high pitch laugh and ran away from him--ball clutched close to his chest. Everyone followed suit after that. Dean couldn't control himself, he doubled over laughing whenever Henry would use someone as a shield against Cas. Henry would laugh louder every time he managed to evade Cas. Cas managed to caught up to Henry, and snaked his arm around his little waist, and lifted him up. Henry squealed and let go of the ball. He started laughing hysterically, and squirming when Cas pretended to nip at his shoulder, telling him how much of a rascal he was. Dean grinned at the smiling face of his family--that was a sound that they could all get use to.

Henry didn't stop tugging at his heart then. He kicked it up a notch when he was getting ready for bed. Like before, he dragged Cas everywhere while getting ready for bed. He grabbed hold of Cas's hand and pulled him from one to the next, talking about anything and everything. He dragged Cas to the bathroom and got his tiny white stool out to stand on to brush his teeth--not once stopping his conversation. He got his Batman toothbrush out and went about brushing his teeth. Dean stood behind him, grinning at him, because he refused to stop talking even to brush his teeth. Cas leaned against the doorway with an amused smile on his face. Once, Henry had toothpaste running down his chin, and Cas used his thumb to wipe it away. Henry thanked him and picked up where he left off. Dean had stood there staring at Cas, who turned on the faucet and washed his thumb, not taking his eyes off Henry. It was hilarious when it was bath time, and he was wrestling with his shirt and trying to tell Cas about the time Uncle Sammy got chased by his neighbor's cat because he stepped on his tail. Throughout the story, he grunted every time he failed to get the neck of his shirt over his head. Cas wasn't much help when he tickled his tummy every time he pulled his shirt up. 

When he finally finished his bath, he ran off to his room in his Batman and Robin pajama. Well, he didn't exactly run. He kinda skipped to his bedroom, not waiting for them. When they got there, he was already in bed and under his Hulk sheet. (Charlie thought it would be a crime to not introduce him to the Avengers). He looked at Cas then patted the side of his bed and held up Green Eggs and Ham. Cas chuckled, went over to the bed and sat down with his back against the headboard. Henry handed him the book, and scooted up and pressed his back to Cas's chest. Cas moved his arm around him, maneuvering them so that his arm was securely around Henry, and they were both comfortable. Henry let out a soft sigh when he was done.

Dean remembered how much love he felt looking at Henry pressed tightly against Cas's chest with one arm across his stomach and the other on Cas's arm, lightly tapping it. It tugged at his heart how happy he looked listening to Cas read to him. He felt warm all over whenever Henry would giggle when Cas gave the characters different voices--some really low, and some really high. He knew he should have left and got himself ready, but he couldn't tear away from the sight in front of him. As the story progressed the two of them huddled closer to each other and ignored the rest of the world like they have been doing the whole day. He even remembered feeling a crushing pain in his heart when Cas whispered to story to an extremely sleepy Henry. Henry had started drooping, and Cas moved his head closer to Henry's and softly whispered the rest of the story to him--wanting him to hear the last of it but didn't want to prevent him from falling asleep. He stood frozen in place when Cas put the book down and used his now unoccupied hand to lift Henry so that he could lay him down. He tucked him in, kissed his forehead, and told him to 'sleep well our little prince.' His heart melted when Henry--who they thought was asleep--smiled. Cas wasn't going to leave their lives if Henry had anything to do with it. Dean would be happy to help insure that if Cas could keep his son this happy.

Dean shook his head. He needed to stop thinking about Cas leaving, and focus on getting to know the guy. He needed to assure Cas that they were people he would want in his life.Dean looked at his alarm clock again. It was 7:03 now. ' _Guess it's now or never_ ,' he thought. He threw his cream colored sheet off himself, not even caring it landed on the floor besides his bed. He threw his legs over the said of his bed, and stared at his brown and black checkered pajama covered legs. He got on his feet and tepidly walked to his door. When he opened his door, he saw that Cas's door was ajar a little. He didn't remember if Cas closed it or not last night. ' _Maybe Cas liked sleeping with his door opened_ ' he shrugged and walked to Henry's room.

"It's time to get up, buddy," Dean said, pushing the door wide open. He stopped in his tracks, and peered at the empty bed. Henry's sheet was on the floor. "The hell?" he swore. In the front of his mind flashed images of where Henry could be. Everything stopped when the image of Cas's open door entered his mind. "Henry, please tell me you didn't wake Cas up," he panicked out loud and pulled lightly at the hairs at the front of his head.

He turned on his heels, and almost ran to Cas's door--nearly tripping on the way there, too. He was about a foot away when his movements came to an abrupt halt. ' _You can't just barge in_!' he shouted in his head. He calmed himself down, and whispered, "Cas." When he got no response, he tried again, only this time a little louder. Again, he got no response. He was starting to think that maybe Cas was still sleeping, but he had to make sure. He gently pushed Cas's door opened, trying to make as little noise as possible. When there was enough room, he poked his head in. Just as he feared, there was no Cas. His bed was neatly made. He had a black sheet covering the bed, with a white bed cover on top of it. He had to admit it went really well with room. He then remembered why he was there and said, "fuck." He backed out the room, and headed for the stairs. He knew Henry was excited about having Cas here, but that doesn't mean he could go and wake the guy up. He was going to have to have a talk with that son of his.

When he got to the bottom of the stairs, he didn't even bothered looking in the living room; he headed straight for the kitchen. When he got there, Henry was still in his pajamas, and sitting on one of the stools--back to him. Cas was standing across from him with a white t-shirt on. (Dean really wasn't wrong about his physique because, while Cas was slim, he had pretty well defined muscles). Cas had a fork in one hand and a knife that was halfway through a stack of pancakes in the other. Cas must have heard him come in because he looked up, and Dean saw his eyes swept across his naked chest before he looked back at the stack of pancakes lightning quick. Dean didn't know what all of that was about. Cas was probably not used to being shirtless at home. Dean was more that okay being shirtless in his own house. He could walk around naked if he wanted, but he had a kid and doing that would be a big 'no-no.'

While Dean was pondering Cas's reaction, Henry turned around and shouted, "Dad, you're up!" He smiled at Dean. Dean couldn't help but smile back at him. He had to remind himself he was upset with him for waking up Cas, and by the looks of it, for making him pancakes as well.

"So are you," he said and gave him a pointed look. It was a chore for both of them to get out of bed when it was a weekday, or when nothing important was happening that specific day. He knew it, and, by the embarrassed look Henry shot him, he did, too. He also noted that Cas was insanely focused on the stack of pancakes, and it was taking him a long time to cut them. "Mornin', Cas," he said with a smile.

"Huh?" Cas whipped up his head. "Wh--Oh. Good Morning, Dean," he nervously said. He tried smiling at Dean, but it came out forced and a little shaky. Dean raised an eyebrow at him. "Sorry. I was thinking about something and got distracted," he sighed. He then went back to cutting the remaining intact pancakes. Dean couldn't help but think he put too much emphasis on the word 'distracted.' He couldn't help but aslo think Cas was acting really weird, and it couldn't be his fault because he hadn't done anything this time.

"I'm really sorry that Henry woke you up," Dean apologized, getting back to the matter at hand. 

"What?" he questioned, once again looking at Dean. Cas was really not acting like himself right now. He tilted his head to the left and furrowed his eyebrows. "Henry didn't wake me up."

"He didn't?" he asked. Cas nodded his head. "Oh." He then noticed the pout on Henry face. He walked up to him and picked him up and making sure Henry looked at him. "Sorry, buddy," he said and kissed his cheek. "But you can't blame me. Normally, I would have to drag you out of bed."

"Dad!" he complained and went back to pouting. Dean laughed at him and kissed his other cheek. He looked up and found Cas smiling at him. "Thanks for making him breakfast."

"You're welcome," he said, acting more like himself now. "I actually offered," he sheepishly said.

"Doesn't matter," Dean assured him. "Thanks."

"I made you some as well,” he said, rubbing the back of his head. At Dean's surprised expression, he continued, "There were a lot of leftover blueberries from yesterday, and I decided to make pancakes. Plus, Henry said you would be up soon to go to work, and pancakes are filling enough if you're going to work at the auto shop all day." Dean looked at him opened mouth, and Cas started to squirm a little in place. ' _Cas not only took care of Henry, but he even thought about him as well_.'

"You didn't have to do that," Dean finally said. The way he was feeling went against what he was saying. He didn't know why it made him this happy that Cas though about him, and he was kinda glad he did.

"Yes, I did," Cas said. "It would have been rude of me to make for the two of us and not you. Right, Henry?"

"Yep!" Henry agreed. "Come on, Dad, or the pancakes will get cold." He put Henry down on the stool he was sitting on and took the one next to him. Cas turned around and walked to the countertops. When he turned around he had a huge stack of pancakes in one hand and empty plate in the other.

"Here you go," he said, setting down the two plates. Dean piled some on the empty plate when Cas handed him a knife and fork. Cas handed him the pitcher of maple syrup next, and he raised an eyebrow at him when he felt how warm it was. Cas nervously chuckled.

"Cas made maple syrup, Dad," Henry said in an awe filled voice. Dean and Cas looked at him. "We had a little left, and Cas made more." He was smiling indulgently at Dean, willing him to see how awesome what Cas did was.

"You made maple syrup?" Dean questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"It's not really that difficult. All you need is sugar, water, and maple extract," he answered. He brought his eyebrows together in thought. "Well, leftover maple syrup in this case," he mused, causing Henry to giggle.

"Okay, then," Dean said and poured maple syrup over his pancakes then Henry's now completely cut pancakes.  He handed the syrup back to Cas, and dug in. He took a bite, and like yesterday, he couldn't contain his moan. The pancakes were fluffy, soft, and he didn't even think he bit through anything. On their own, they were sweet tasting, but together with the maple syrup, he felt like he was is sugar heaven. The blueberries themselves was tart enough to balance everything out. What made it even more scrumptious was the hint of cinnamon he could taste. He opened his eyes to see Cas standing between the island and countertops with a plate in his hand. His mouth was opened, and he was staring at him. Henry was looking from Dean to Cas with a confused expression. "Ahem. Really great pancakes, Cas," he said, and quickly looked down at his pancakes, so that he wouldn't see his flushed cheeks.

"Thank you, Dean," Cas said in a tight voice. Dean was internally cursing himself. ' _Smooth, Winchester_ ,' he groused. ' _Way to weird the crap out of the guy. The fuck is wrong with you? Having an orgasm over his pancakes? Really?_ ' He cursed himself all over again. ' _Orgasm? Really?_ '

"They're as good as Nana's," Henry praised. If it wouldn't have weird Cas out more, Dean would have smothered his son with kisses right now. He saved them from having an extremely awkward breakfast filled with silence.

"You should be proud," Dean informed him, hoping to get rid of the awkwardness. "No one else's pancakes have ever compared to hers."

"Ah," he said. "Well, I'm honored." He reached over and ruffled his hair, making Henry giggle.

Dean smiled at them. "Hurry up and finish you pancakes, Ry," he instructed. "We have to get ready, and I need to see if Mrs. Smith can watch you today."

"Cas can watch me," Henry stated. That really didn't sound like a question or a request, more like he was stating what was going to happen. The way he said it implied that there wasn't supposed to be a 'can' in that statement, but a 'will.' The smirk that Cas was wearing told him he heard it, too.

"Cas might have things to do," Dean reasoned. The smirk Cas wore only grew. He should probably quit right now. ' _What was he thinking? Of course, Cas wouldn't mind watching him_.' Dean should have thought about it earlier.

"I promise not to bother him," he pleaded with his hands clasped together. He pulled out the puppy dog eyes and was pouting as well. Dean could see Cas trying really hard not to laugh at them.

Dean turned to look at Cas. "Cas, if you're not too busy today, do you mind looking after Henry?" he asked. There was no point in asking. He knew, by looking at Cas, that he would have no problem with watching Henry.

Cas tilted his head skyward, and put one arm across his stomach. He rested the elbow of the other arm on the first, and cupped his chin with his hand, tapping the side of his face with his index finger. "Hmm? Am I busy today?" he pondered. He was concentrating really intensely as if he was actually mentally going through his schedule. Cas looked like he was actually thinking about a task, and moving his head left to right, weighing the pros and cons of his decision. Henry was literally on the edge of his seat awaiting Cas's decision. His hands gripped on the edge of the island, and Dean was afraid he was going to leave a dent on the wooden island. He looked so eager to hear that Cas would spend the day with him, but Dean could see a little trepidation in him that Cas might say 'no.' Dean had a hard time believing Cas would tell him 'no.' "Well, it looks like I can," Cas said and lowered both arms back to his sides. "I would love to." He smiled a small fond smile at Henry.

"Yay!" Henry cheered and released his death grip on the island to fist bump the air. He lowered his arms, and grinned at Cas. The light from the florescent bulbs above made his cheeks shine. Dean wasn't sure if it was the light that made his eyes glistened or it was just pure joy, but he didn't care if his son glowed like this every day. Time and time again, he was starting to notice little changes in his son. He had been smiling more ever since Cas walked into their lives, and if he wasn't going to complain about hurting cheeks, then neither was Dean.

"Thanks, Cas," Dean said.

"No problem, Dean," he responded. He went back to eating after that. It was the second time Dean observed him eating pancakes. Like the first time, he wasn't slouched over like he was. He didn't have any of his arms on the table, like Dean and Henry. His cutting was carefully done with razor like precision like he had been a sergeant his whole life. When he brought the fork up to his mouth, his hands never shook once. Dean was thinking that maybe he attempted medicine at some point in his life or maybe art classes. He did study mythology, maybe at some point he took one to understand Greek art better. When Cas got the pancakes into his mouth, he took his time chewing it. He not once showed his teeth and didn't chewed his food like cows as people were often referred to chewing as. He chewed as if he was counting the amount of times he chewed on one side to make sure that his food would be properly digested. His lips were chapped as usual but still its normal rosy color. They were the prefect size, not too big but plump enough. When he swallowed, his Adam's apple faintly bobbed up and down. It wasn't very conspicuous, but it poked out enough to draw attention to his slender neck. A slender neck that appeared to contain smooth skin on every inch. Dean sucked in a breath and hurriedly stuffed his mouth with pancakes. He had no idea what came over him a few moments ago. He shook his head as if to dislodge those thoughts from his head.

"Dean?" he heard Cas call. He looked up to see worry clouding Cas's features. His eyes darkened but still managed to shine through the shadow that descended on his face and managed to make the hair on Dean's arm stand up. "Is everything alright?" he asked with a tilt of his head, not knowing how bird-like the gesture was, and how much it reminded him of Henry.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Dean assured him and possibly himself as well. "Just the typical Monday blues," he joked. He didn't want to look over at Henry in case he saw the same worried expression. He already had him worried once before, and he didn't want to see that again. Cas looked at his dubiously--not truly believing him. "What are you planning to do with Henry today?" he asked in attempt to steer suspicion away from him.

Cas gave him an unconvinced look then said, "I don't know yet. I'll probably asked Henry what he normally does and go from there."

"Well, Henry doesn't do much. He just plays with his toys or watch TV," Dean informed him.

Cas finally rested his elbows on the table, resting on arm across the island and using the other to cup his chin to support his head. Once again he was in thinking mode, but by the looks of it, he was actually thinking about something. His closed ever so often when he was deep in thought about something, and Dean chose to finish his pancakes. He was going to need to get ready soon. When he finished his stack of pancakes, he looked up and noticed that Cas was no longer contemplating anything but eating his pancakes. He looked to his left and saw that Henry had finished his as well.

"You want some more pancakes, Henry?" Henry nodded his head at him. He took the plate of pancakes and loaded two more onto Henry's plate and the remaining four onto his plate. He attempted to steady his hands and cut Henry's pancakes like Cas, but he wasn't as successful as Cas. "There you go, bud," he said after pouring the maple syrup on them. When he looked at Cas again, his plate was cleared, and the only thing remaining was tiny blobs of maple syrup scattered around his plate. He looked at his plate and then back at Cas. "Sorry, Cas. I didn't even ask if you wanted more," he said, embarrassed. He was positive that his cheeks colored at that.

"It's okay, Dean," Cas reassured him. "I did make it for you two." Dean thought he saw his cheeks reddened but couldn't be sure when Cas looked down at his plate.

"You didn't have to, but thanks," smiled Dean.

"I did," Cas looked up and said. "Part of the deal was that I would help out in any way I can while I am here."

"What deal?" asked Henry. Both adults looked at him then looked back at each other with panicked looks. How could they have forgotten to tell Henry that Cas's stay here wasn't permanent? They had agreed that they would tell him when Cas got here, but then he held on to Cas and wouldn't let go, and then his family came over. The discussion was pushed back until they forgot about it. The longer they looked at each other the more panicked they got. Cas widened his eyes at Dean to signal him to start the discussion. Dean's eyes got wider than his in attempt to tell Cas that he should start. "Dad?" Henry called.

"Well, Henry," sighed Cas, "your dad and I decided that I will stay here until I find a new place to live in."

"You're leaving?" he said, horrified. The both saw tears beginning to well up. Dean was starting to think that they should have waited until Cas found a place then tell him. It would have been much better if he got to spend more time with Cas and not worry about him leaving.

"Not today," Cas rushed out saying. "It's going to be a couple of weeks before I find some place new." He smiled encouragingly at him, willing him to believe him.

"Why can't you live here?" he asked with a tilt of his own head. Cas looked over to Dean and moved his head a little in Henry's direction, signaling him to explain it to him. Dean felt panic overcome him. How could he explain that Cas couldn't permanently live with them? The only way was if Cas and him were--well, they certainly weren't in any way doing what his brain was thinking.

"Well, Henry," he started then cleared his throat, "Cas can't live with us. He needs to find his own home, buddy."

"Why?" he persisted. His eyebrows were slightly furrowed. He was seconds away from being irritated at not knowing why it wasn't the most normal thing for Cas to just permanently live with them. Dean wanted to tell him that Cas had a life of his own, and permanently living with a mechanic and his three-year-old son would get in the way of that. Cas was going above and beyond by agreeing to even spend this much time with them. He didn't have to, but he agreed. No matter how long it could have taken him to find a new home, he could have stayed in his old apartment and not do this. Dean would have had a hard time moving in with someone just met, but Cas was braver than he was.

Thinking about that gave Dean the answer he was looking for. "Do you remember when Aunty Charlie, and Aunty Gilda used to live with us?" He cautiously nodded his head, unsure of what he where he was going with this. "It's the same thing. Cas is living here until he can find a new place where he can start his own family." Dean heard Cas make a little choking sound, but when he looked over at him, he face was emotionless. Dean looked at him for a few seconds then looked back at Henry. "Do you get why now?" he asked.

Henry opened his mouth then closed it. "Okay," he said afterwards.

On the outside, he appeared accepting as ever, but Dean would be an awful father if he didn't know his son. He could tell straight away that nothing about was 'okay' with him. He was fighting the instinct to sag his shoulders in defeat. His hands were folded into tiny fists, resting on his thighs. There was a slight darkening of his eyes--the glistened look from before gone. He wanted to tell him that it would all work out. That even though Cas won't be here all the time, he wouldn't forget them. But he didn't know that. He couldn't guarantee that Cas would always be in their lives; he could only hope. He felt a sharp pain in his heart which he guessed was because Cas might leave and Henry would never see him again.

"It's the same thing, Henry," said Cas. "I'll stay here until I find a new place. And just like Aunt Charlie, and Aunt Gilda, I'll visit you whenever I can. Okay?" Cas gave him small smile. Relief rushed in like a tidal wave. It looked like Cas planned to stay in contact with them. Dean was thrilled, but he wanted Cas to like him...and his family, too. (He didn't know why he didn't think of his family first, but he wasn't going to dwell on that). He didn't want Cas to be forced to come around just because of Henry. He wanted him to want to hang out with all of them. He guessed he wanted them to be friends.

"Okay, Cas," he answered, and he relaxed. Even though he relaxed, Dean could still see something was troubling him. He smiled at Cas, but it didn't quite make it to his eyes. Henry understood what they told him, and he should be ecstatic that Cas wanted to be part of their lives, but in Dean's eyes, he looked defeated.

"Why don't you finish your pancakes?" Cas said with an encouraging smile. "Your dad has to leave soon then we can do whatever you like." When Cas said that, Dean craned his neck to the right to look at the plain black microwave Sam got him. (Sam got him a new one when the old one couldn't heat up his pasta evenly when he came on time).  It was a plain black piece of machinery with silver colored numbers. It was a stark difference from the plane white fridge it was next too. In bold red was the time--8:01. He better finish his pancakes and get going or he was going to be late--not that it mattered, but he wanted to be punctual.

"Yeah. I'm going to need to get ready soon," he said while returning to his previous position.

"Okay," Henry said and resumed eating with as much enthusiasm as a scolded child. Dean turned his attention to Cas, and Cas shrugged his shoulder. He then mouthed, 'I'll talk to him.' Dean nodded his head trusting Cas to handle it. If anyone could get Henry to smile again, it would be Cas. The rest of breakfast went quietly along. The only sound that could be heard were passing cars and forks scraping plates. 

~~~★~~~ 

Cas was washing the plates when hear a quiet voice behind. "What was that, Henry?" he asked since he couldn't make out what Henry said.

"You don't want to be part of our family?" Henry question in a voice quieter than the last. Cas didn't understand what he meant by that. He didn't understand why he said  it in a way that made it seem like if he said out loud it would somehow turn out to be a statement rather than a question.

"What do you mean?" Cas said while using the bright yellow kitchen sponge to get the remaining syrup off the plate. (He was surprised to find how simple they were--plain white with three green ridges on the outermost part of it). He decided that was a better response if he wanted Henry to elaborate on why he thought he wouldn't be part of his family. The Winchesters made it perfectly clear yesterday that family didn't end with blood and looked forward to getting to know him and ultimately welcoming him to their family. He had to admit, of all the people he could have bumped into, he was glad that he bumped into Dean and Henry. They gave him a family away from home. Family was just as important to them as it was to him, and he was grateful that they were willing to give him that.

"You don't want to be with me and Dad," Henry said in a small vulnerable voice. Cas was immensely grateful that Dean was wise enough to buy sturdy dishes because he would have certainly broke the one he was holding when Henry said that. His heart was beating at an alarmingly fast rate, and he was afraid it would burst. It became a little difficult to breathe, and he could feel sweat forming on his forehead. There was no way that Henry meant what his brain automatically jumped to.

Cas shook his head, while the soap spuds on his hand started to dry. ' _Henry meant that you won't stay with them, not that_ ,' Cas berated himself. There was no way that Henry meant to phrase it that way. He didn't understand the implications. Cas turned on the faucet and rinsed the plate. He place it with the other two already washed plates--he would dry them later. He took a paper towel from the roll next to the microwave and dried his hands. He then turned around to face Henry.

"We told you it would be the same as when Aunt Charlie and Aunt Gilda stayed here," Cas reminded him, noticing his misty eyes and crestfallen face.

"Me and Dad can be your family," he said with pleading eyes. "Aunty Charlie and Aunty Gilda found a new house to have a family, but you don't need to. You have us." His eyes filled with unshed tears, the moment Cas felt heart shattered.

'Fuck,' Cas swore in his head as he stood there with comically wide eyes. His body was paralyzed, and he wasn't sure he was breathing. He wasn't  even sure his brain was working because all he could hear is white noise. The only movement was his heart which was beating at a rate that put his last incident like this to shame. He felt as if he had a tiny drummer in his chest pounding away at his rib cage, demanding to be let out, but failing miserably. Sweat was no longer forming only on his forehead but everywhere--even in places that he had never sweated in before. Henry couldn't possibly have any idea what he was asking for. To Henry, this was just some way to get him to stay as long as possible. He didn't understand the implications of what he was asking him. He didn't know what he was asking for was actually doing to Cas. Looking at his pleading eyes, Cas wanted to tell him how badly he would love if he could live with them. How he wished he could have what he was offering. Cas wanted to tell him how much he would love if he could make him breakfast every morning for as long he would let him. He would give anything to be able to tuck him in at night, every night. And above all, he wanted nothing more than to be watch him grow up.

"Oh, Henry," Cas said when he saw Henry's bottom lip trembled a little. He threw the used paper towel on the countertop and walked around the island to get to Henry. When Henry saw him he turned to the side and held his arm up. Cas swooped in and picked him up. Cas used one arm to support his bottom and used his free hand to cup the back of Henry's head while Henry burrowed his face into his neck. "Henry, what's really going on here?" he gently asked as he rested his cheek on top of Henry's head, and gently massaged the back of his head. Henry didn't respond but squeezed his arms tighter around Cas's neck. Cas felt a wet spot on the side of his neck and heard Henry give a small sniffle. "Henry...."

"What if y-you leave a-and you don't w-want to see us a-anymore?" he hiccupped, and rubbed his wet nose into the crook of Cas's neck. Cas stopped massaging his head and started raking his fingers through his hair, making an scratching motion with the tips of his fingers.

"Henry, that's not going to happ--" Cas started to say when he realized what was really troubling him. "Henry, I need you to look at me," Cas instructed. Henry whimpered and pulled Cas tighter to him, almost choking him. He shook his head while nuzzling deeper into Cas neck, seeking as much comfort as he possibly can. It seemed like Henry thought that if he held on tight enough and got close enough, he would be able to keep all the bad things at bay. Cas would have loved it if it was true that he could hold him and keep the outside world away from his little prince as Cas is beginning to regard him as. "Please, Henry," he begged. "Please look at me." Again, Henry shook his head. "Do it for me," Cas begged one last time. Henry made a small whining sound and dislodged his head from Cas's neck. When he looked at Cas, his eyes were red, and puffed out. There were tear streaks on either side of his face, and bottom lip protruded in a pout. Cas used his right hand to cup his left cheek and used his thumb to wipe away the tears. "I need you to listen to me carefully, Henry. Okay?"

"'kay," he said in a small voice. Cas softly stroked his thumb across his cheek. It was breaking his heart to see him cry--something he never wanted to see happen again. He was going to make sure he kept him as happy as possible for the allotted time they have together, but first he had to fix this.

"Henry, I'm not going to forget you if I move out," said Cas. Just like that, Henry's eyes bulged out. Cas gave himself a pat on the back for getting that one right.

"You might," he fiercely defended. Cas had to fight back a smile. ' _How could someone's angry expression be so cute?_ ' he wondered. ' _How could Dean resist irritating him just to see his angry expression?_ '

"That's not going to happen," Cas said, diverging from his thoughts and getting back to the matter at hand. "It you truly care about someone, you wouldn't stop caring because you can't see them every day. You will continue to care about them, because they are important to you. And I care a lot about you, Henry. You're important to me. And that's not going to change when I move away." Care didn't even begin to describe how he felt. In a matter of days, Cas had grown attached to Henry in ways he had never with the other kids that had come into his life. Never had he wanted to make any of them his own. There was just something about him that really drawn him in since that first day. A feeling to protect and love him invaded every part of him that only grew after his suspicions were confirmed about what happened to his mother.He also felt anger at her for just abandoning him right after his birth--even though they didn't say it, Cas knew that was what happened. He knew that children didn't necessarily need both parent to be happy, but the thought that she just tossed him aside really made his blood boil. Henry turned out to be a kid that a lot of people would kill for--himself included--and she didn't even care to stick around to see it. For what he gathered, he knew that she didn't even try to establish any contact in the past three years. Now, he would rather hope she never make contact with them. She really didn't deserve to have Henry in her life, and Henry didn't need a reminder that his own mother abandoned him in a crucial time in his life. He was going to make sure that Henry was happy for as long as he lived here, and for how long he would allow him afterwards. If he couldn't have him as his own then he would take what he could get. ' _Anna was right, having this was better than having nothing at all,' he thought. 'The heartache will certainly not outweigh the joy it would bring him by watching him be happy_.'

' _Speaking of heartache_ ,' he thought, ' _Henry's mother not only abandoned him, she left Dean as well. She left a man who never had a child before to raise one on his own. She left a man with a child in his arm, and his shattered heart on the floor. She left a man who had loved before, and was abandoned not caring what became of him, and his child_.' Even thinking about it now was making his heart hurt and leaving him feeling faint. What was even worst was that Dean had found someone else he loved and was willing to allow her into his and Henry's lives, and she did what they had all done before and left him with his heart in his hand. ' _How does one even live after that? More importantly, how does one love after all of that? But Dean did it. He had seen it in the way he looked at his son. He has seen in in the way he jokes with Charlie. The way he and Jo took jab at each other. The way his eyes light up when his mother walks in the room. The way he joked and laughed with the guys in his family. He has seen it in the way he heart broke whenever he looked at them together, knowing he would never have what they have but so profoundly happy that that they found love. Dean has so much love to give, but no one has given him the chance to do it_.' It enraged him that no one was willing enough to see how loving Dean can be. That no one had the courage enough to stick around to see what a good man he was, and what an even better father he was. It gnawed at his soul that he was more than willing to give Dean what he wanted, but he couldn't. For once in a vast amount time, he was ashamed of the body he was given. But he had promised himself that he would never again belittle what he had been given. But right now it was hard to care about himself when all he wanted was for Dean to have some form of happiness. The only way Cas could possibly do that was by helping his son, and he could live with that--even when he wished he didn't have too.

"You promise?" Henry timidly asked. He had a desperately pleading look in his eyes. Cas could see every part of his begging him to not forget him and move on with his life. Cas was beginning to think the only way to actually convince him was to be honest with him.

"Henry, I want you to listen to me carefully," he instructed. At the nod of his head, Cas continued, "I have met a lot of kids, Henry, and I can tell you without a doubt that you are my favorite. I care more for you that all the others combined. So don't for a second think that I would ever forget you." He took a breath. "I still have contact with a lot of kids that I used to babysit, and I no longer live close to them, so there is no way that I would forget this one special little prince that is so close by." That small sentiment finally got a smile out of him--albeit one that didn't reach his eyes, but a smile nonetheless. Cas gave a smile of his own and kissed his forehead. He lingered for a few seconds then moved back, so that he could wipe away the remaining tears left behind.

Henry went back to nuzzling his face into Cas's neck, which Cas gladly allowed. Cas felt all the pent up tension leave his body at the heavy sigh that Henry released. He rest his cheek on his head, and let out a sigh of his own. Henry pressed his face closer into his neck and inhaled deeply.

"I love you, Cas," Henry sighed in a deeply fulfilled way, like he found what he was looking for. Cas's arm tightened around his legs. His mind jumping to how infants learn to identify their mothers by scent. With each inhale and exhale Henry relaxed a little like infants did when they were with their mother--someone, whose scent they first learn, and associate with safety and comfort. He knew that Henry could feel how rapidly his heart was beating in his chest. He was careful not to use that four letter word in his speech, because that wasn't something one say to a three-year-old you met a week ago--even if it was true. And he did love him a great deal. He was both frightened and immensely relieved that Henry was the first one to say it. If it was up to him, he would have never said it for months yet. It was a testament how special Henry was to him since he made sure he didn't get attached so quickly to anyone, but Henry had been pulling him in since that very first day. Two tiny hands pulling at his soul. There was no way he was going to forget him or even find someone as wonderful as him.

Cas put his hand on the back of Henry's head again and drew him closer to him. "I love you, too, Henry," he said then move his face to place a kiss on the side of Henry's head. ' _You have no idea how much I do_ ,' he thought.

~~~★~~~

"Henry, I'm leaving!" Dean shouted as he made his way down the stairs. He wore a tightly fitted black t-shirt with dark blue jeans and black monochrome low-top converse. ' _Who would have thought the great ladies_ ' man Dean Winchester would be wearing converse?' he joked in his head and then chuckled.

"Bye, Dad!" Henry hollered from the kitchen, making Dean almost miss the last step. ' _That's it_ ,' he thought. As he was about to walk out the kitchen, Henry ran out the kitchen followed by Cas. Legs were the first thing that came to mind when Dean saw Cas. Cas was wearing a black mid-thigh high boxer-brief--something that the island in his kitchen prevented Dean from seeing. For good reason, too because he had really nice thighs. They were really firm, smooth and appeared to be hairless.

' _What the hell was that?_ ' he thought. Was he really admiring his legs? Dean eyebrow met his hairline when he saw the midnight blue travel mug with black mouth piece Cas had in one hand--thankfully breaking him from his previous thoughts. In the other hand hand, he had Dean's light-blue square tupperware bowl filled with what looked like leftovers from yesterday. Henry came to a stop about two feet from him and grinned at him. He was right to assume that Cas would snap him out of his bad mood from earlier. Dean reached forward and ruffled his hair, earning him a bigger grin. ' _It looked like Cas did more than just cheer him up_.'

Cas came to a stop right behind him. Dean noticed, as his eyes traveled up to see Cas's face, that Cas's thighs weren't hairless after all but had tiny, thin hairs on them. It was a stark contrast to his five o'clock shadow and arms, which had hair as thin as his thighs but more. Dean raised an eyebrow and tilted his downward towards Henry because he really needed to stop thinking about thighs. Cas shook his head at Henry.

"I made coffee, but you didn't get to have any, so I decided to put it in your travel mug for you. So here you go," Cas said instead, handing him the mug. He didn't want to mention that he forgot that he even had a travel mug and took it. "And your mom packed your lunch and asked that I make sure you didn't forget it. She was really insistent on that. She said something about  'stuffing your face with junk food,'" he said with a smirk on his face and handed over the bowl.

Dean groaned as he took the bowl. "Your nana just lives to embarrass me," he said to Henry, who continued to grin at him. ' _The little shit is enjoying this_ ,' he fondly thought. He rolled his eyes at him and bent down to kiss his forehead. "Be good for Cas," he said against his forehead. "I love you."

"I love you, too, Dad," Henry said, and Dean righted himself up.

"Thanks again, Cas."

"It's really okay, Dean. You don't have to thank me," Cas reassured him. Dean smiled at him.

"Bye, Dad," Henry said while Dean stood there, mouth open. Henry then gave him a wave.

"You really want to get me out of here?" Dean said in disbelief. Henry shifted shyly on his feet, and didn't say anything. "You're supposed to say, 'No, Dad,' Henry!" Dean said affronted. Cas chuckled behind his hand. Dean glared and pointed a finger at him. "Not helping, Cas."

Cas looped one arm Henry's torso, lifted him up, and used his other armed to support his legs. "I think your dad needs a kiss to cheer him up. Don't you think so, Henry?" Cas questioned, smiling at Dean.

"I'm not a child, Cas," he retorted with an unimpressed look.

"No, he's a big boy," Cas whispered into Henry's right ear, but Dean heard him. Henry started to giggle. Cas stepped forward, and Dean rolled his eyes but moved closer and lowered his face for Henry.

Henry tilted his head and kissed Dean's right cheek. "Better?" he asked when Dean moved back.

Dean threw his head back and let out an exasperated gust of air. "Hilarious. Both of you," he sarcastically stated with a roll of his eyes. He couldn't, however, stop from smiling at the two laughs he heard. He couldn't help but smile wider at the two shining faces that grinned back at him. "I better get going before Grandpa rips me a new one," he joked. Going to work was the last thing he wanted to do right now. He would rather stay home, and see what Henry and Cas would get themselves up too.

"Bye, Dad! Say 'hi' to Grandpa, and Aunty Charlie, and Grandpa Bobby, and Uncle Benny, and Uncle Ash!" he beamed at him--not even out of breath. Dean's insides melted. He moved his coffee occupied hand to stroke his cheek with his index finger.

"Bye, Henry. Have fun with Cas," Dean fondly said with a soft smile. "Bye, Cas," he added, casting his eyes upward.

"Bye, Dean. Have a nice day," Cas responded. For a moment, Dean was struck by how domestic this all seemed. He didn't get how he didn't see it before. Cas made him and his son breakfast this morning. Cas made sure he got his coffee because he forgot it, and he made sure that he had his lunch. On top of it all, he and Henry were at the door seeing him off. They were acting like a family where he was the father, and Cas was the mom. Okay, he better get to work before this turn into--well he not really sure what this was going to turn into, but he really couldn't deal with it right now. So he was going to push it down and maybe deal with it later. Maybe.

Dean kissed Henry's forehead once more and turned to open the door. He couldn't though because of the two things in his hands.

"Let me get that," Cas said and reach around Dean with Henry in tow. He kept one arm around Henry's torso and used his free on to reach the door handle. The movement brought the three of them really close together. Henry was in the middle of the two of them, pressed to Dean's chest. Dean, who had turned when Cas spoke, had a face full of Cas's hair. His nose was flooded with the scent of vanilla--a soft scent of vanilla that wasn't overpowering. Cas hastily open the door and moved to the side. Without thinking, Dean moved slightly forward but stopped himself when he realized what he was doing.

"Thanks, Cas," Dean said in a daze.

"You're welcome," Cas responded.  Neither noticed the confused look Henry was shooting them each. Neither noticed the other's flustered composure.

Dean walked out the door, still stuck in his dazed state. He snapped out of it just before he walked into his car-the car he was too lazy to park in the garage last night. He put his lunch on the roof of his carmand used his newly unoccupied hand to open his car door. He got in his car, put his coffee in the cup holder, started the car and closed the door.

"Dean, you left your lunch on the top of your car," shouted Cas. Dean turned to the side to see Cas holding Henry--who was looking at him like he was crazy. He realized that he never heard the door closed. ' _Smooth, Winchester_ ,' he thought. ' _Your son, and the guy you're trying to be friends with just saw how much of an idiot you are_.' Dean stuck his hand out the window and felt around until he found the tupperware.

"Thanks, Cas," he called out and waved at them, forgetting the food in his hand. He groaned when he saw the jumbled up mess inside the tupperware. He put the bowl down on the other seat, put the car in drive, and pulled out of the driveway. He chose not to look at Cas or Henry's face, not wanting to see their expressions. Henry was probably still looking at him like he was crazy. Cas probably had a pity look on his face like 'look at his loser.' He sighed.  There was no point in dwelling on that now. He turned on his music and let Bon Jovi take him away. 

~~~★~~~

"That was...something," Cas said as he watched the Impala disappear down the road. He had no idea what came over Dean. Everything was going so well then he started acting weird. He almost walked into his car and then after that he got really forgetful. He had to admit it was rather cute seeing Dean frustrated look. ' _Well, Henry had to get it from somewhere_ ,' he joked inside his head.

"Yeah," Henry responded with a thoughtful look on his face, pulling Cas from his thoughts.

"He probably needed his coffee more than we realized," Cas offered up as an explanation. Henry giggled. "What do you want to do?" cas asked as he turned and walked to the front door.

"Dunno," he said.

"We'll think of something," Cas promised and closed the door behind him.

~~~★~~~

Ten minutes later, Dean pulled up to Winchester-Singer Auto Body Shop belting 'Livin' On A Prayer.' He looked at the sidewalk and noticed that everyone was here already. He checked the Casio watch that 'Henry' gave him for father's Day. It was 8:59. It looked like he made it just in time. He turned off his music and parked behind Bobby's red 1988 Ford Mustang. He got out his car and took his coffee and his now sad excuse for lunch and walked to the front door. When he opened the door he came face to face with everyone--okay, not everyone just his dad, Bobby, Benny, Ash, and Charlie. They were all wearing their blue overalls with the shop's logo on it. Charlie was the only exception. She was wearing khakis pants and a red-and-white striped polo shirt with her hair tied in a ponytail. They all stared at him then at his hands. It was comical the way their eyebrows met their hairline as one.

"What the hell happened to your lunch?" Charlie inquired. "And is that the mug I gave you?" Her face morphed from disbelief to curiosity.

"Don't asked," he exasperatedly said, "and yes it is."

"And?" she insisted with a slight widening of her eyes. "Why do you have it?"

"What do you mean 'why do I have it?' Why else would I have it?" he incredulously asked. "I have coffee in here," he stressed out.

"I know that dummy! I mean, why are you using it? You looked at me like I grew a second head when I gave it to you," she aggressively stated.

"Oh," he quietly said, earning him an exasperated look from her. "Cas...found it this morning when he was looking for something to put my coffee in," he slowly said when he noticed how they all perked up at the mention of Cas. He thought that all their worries about Cas was put to rest yesterday. Looking at them, he guessed they are more eager to learn more about him.

"He made you coffee?" his dad said with a raised eyebrow.

"Well, he made us breakfast--" Dean started to say but stopped at their surprised expressions. "I-I mean he got up early-he didn't do this on purpose," he angrily said when he saw their suspicious looks. Cas didn't have any ulterior motive like they were thinking. They didn't know he made breakfast because Henry also got up early and was hungry. He was doing that for Henry. He didn't know why that stung a little. Cas did make for him, but only because he didn't want to seem rude. That bothered him more than it should, and he didn't know why. "Henry got up early this morning-- and you can guess why--and was hungry, so Cas made him breakfast." He glared at them all when he finished. A small part of him enjoyed watching them squirm in place. It served them right for thinking that Cas was after something. He knew all about people wanting something from him, but Cas didn't want anything. He genuinely seemed to love making Henry happy and got his own happiness from that--something Dean could relate to. Cas was more than all right in his book, and he really wished they would get behind that.

"Sorry, brotha," Benny apologized, a little embarrassed. "We're still getting use to having him around."

Dean gave a dry laugh. "Well, you better get used to it because Cas isn't go anywhere anytime soon if Henry has anything to say about it."

"He seems really attached. Almost as attached as his is to you," said Bobby.

"I don't know about that," Ash said. "From what I saw yesterday, he was far more lenient when it came to being affectionate  with Cas than his own Dad." Ash then smirked at him. Ash shouldn't be so smug. Henry was plenty affectionate with him. Plus he was a growing kid, pretty soon he wasn't going to want to be affectionate all the time. Cas's novelty would wear out eventually. Or he hoped because Henry was still his kid, dammit. For the first time since Cas got here, Dean was a little jealous. He knew that Cas wasn't out to steal his kid, but why did Henry have to be more affectionate with him?

"Fuck you," Dean said to them when he noticed the smirks they were all wearing now. He needed to stay calm. He had nothing to be jealous of. Henry still _loved_ him more than he _liked_ Cas. Henry would always love him more than Cas. Ash had no idea what he was talking about.

"What's the matter, Dean? Jealous?" Charlie drawled. Dean didn't respond but glared at her. There was nothing to be jealous about. "Okay. Okay, "she said with raised hands. “So, what did you have for breakfast?"

"Blueberry pancakes...which Henry liked just as much as mom's," he smirked. His smirk fell off his face when he realized what he just said. Henry liked Cas's pancakes as much as his mother's. Henry liked his mother's pancakes more than his. By extension, Henry liked Cas's pancakes more than his. Dean groaned causing them all to burst out laughing.

"We're just messing with you, Dean. We know Henry likes you more," laughed Charlie.

"But seriously, he likes his pancakes as much as your mother's. Because I gotta say your mom makes some mean pancakes, "Ash praised while licking his lips.

"Yeah. He does, but I kinda like his more than mom's," he nervously chuckled then scratched the back of his head. "Dad!" he shouted when he saw the embarrassed look that flashed across his father's face. He also noticed the glint in Charlie's eyes, meaning she knew something. ' _What could she possibly know just from hearing he liked Cas's pancakes better?_ ' he wondered.

"What? The boy makes one damn good pie. He could as well have made one damn good pancake," he father defended. "Don't give me that look, Dean. Your mother and I decided that the first chance we get at convincing him to make another pie, we're going to take it. Heck, we're thinking of asking what else he can bake. I mean, Dean, that was one damn good pie." Forget Cas of taking advantage of him. If he wasn't too careful, his family would run him down to the ground.

"I'm just as curious as you, Dad. I mean we were out of maple syrup this morning, and he made more from what little was left. Who knows how to make maple syrup off the top of their head?" Dean questioned, wide eyed and mouth slightly opened. He then realized that he wasn't persuading his family to leave Cas alone with that admission.

"How was it?" Benny asked.

"Pretty damn good. Not too sweet and just the right thickness. I mean it was thick enough that it seeped through the top part of the pancakes but not all the way through. So it didn't completely mix with the pancakes and lose some of its sweetness. It was pretty damn perfect. I had like ten pancakes this morning," Dean said, reminiscing about when he first took a bite out of them. The soft, fluffy texture that made him feel like he was biting into cotton candy he got at the yearly fairs that Lawrence had throughout the summer.

"You-hoo. You still in there, Dean?" Charlie called and wave her hand in front of his face.

"Very funny, Charlie," glared Dean. ' _What is with everybody making fun of him today? It was cute when Henry and Cas did it, but when Charlie did it, not so much. Wait a minute. Did I just call Cas cute? No_ ,' he reminded himself, ' _you said what Cas and Henry did was cute_.' He had no idea what was going on with him these past few days. Maybe, he had been too overworked. ' _Yeah, that was probably the reason he was acting like this_.'

"Okay, that's enough, Charlie. You have plenty of time to tease Dean later," teased Bobby. That was the thing he loved about his family that they can tease each other so openly, and no-one actually got offended, no matter how annoyed they may seem.

"Bobby's right. We better get started, or we're never get a move on," his dad laughed.

Dean was about to comment on that when he phone vibrated in his pocket. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his Google Nexus 3, a phone Charlie got for him because she believed that everyone should own a touch-screen phone. He was more than happy with his flip phone, but she wasn't having that. When he unlocked his phone, he saw he got a message from Cas.

_Cas: Are there any foods that Henry should avoid? Any allergies?_

"Who is it?" Charlie asked.

"Just Cas," he told her as he typed out his response.

_Dean: No allergies but he doesnt like Brussels sprouts or liver_

_Cas: Okay._

_Cas: I'll let you get back to work now. Bye, Dean._

_Dean: see ya at home cas_

He looked up to see his family staring at him. "What?"

"What did Cas want?" his father asked as he crossed his arms across his chest. He knew his father didn't mean to do it, but he looked so intimidating right now. He had a serious expression on his face, the one he wore when he was listening intently but came off as being stern.

"He wanted to know if Henry has any allergies."

"We should have guessed he would be watching Henry," Charlie said with a roll of her her eyes.

"What did you expect? Henry wanted to spend as much time as he could with him," he said and gave her a small smile. "He even said he wouldn't bother Cas if he had to do anything if I let Cas watch him." ' _Begged was more like it_ ,' he thought, amused. The only times he actually pleaded with his hand together were when he wanted to stay up later than his bedtime, and when he wanted to go over to his nana's house.

"Do you think that was such a good idea? I mean--" his father started to say, but stopped when Dean gave him irritated look.

"Cas is more than qualified to watch Henry, and I get you guys are worried about Henry, but there is nothing to worry about. The fact that he asked if Henry had any allergies should tell that he is trustworthy and he cares for him." Dean seriously stated.

"We get it, Dean. Just give us a day or two to adjust. He's not just coming to your life but ours as well," Bobby informed him.

"Make it quick. I really don't want scare this guy away. I'm kinda starting to like him." That got surprised expressions out of all of them except Charlie and his Dad. At first, he dad was surprised but then his face sagged a little and sadness crept into his eyes. Charlie, on the other hand, had a stoic look on his face, but sadness, too, invaded her eyes. ' _What could possibly be sad about this?'_ It was a good thing that he liked Cas. It would have been a disaster if he didn't. Imagine having to hang around a person he couldn't stand for a long period of time. This was a very good thing having to not fake liking a person for someone else's sake--he would totally do it for Henry but was relieved that he didn't have to.

"That's good," Charlie said as calm and supportive as ever, but she couldn't fool him. She was still sad about something. He knew her enough to know whenever she tried too hard to keep her voice level, she was hiding something and didn't want her voice to betray her. It spoke volumes about how much she had grown from that shy girl who couldn't function in social gatherings that didn't have anything to do with some game to someone who could control her body so well. If he wasn't so concerned right now, he would be preening.

"We should really get to work," his dad said, no doubt noticing the worry look in his eyes and trying to avoid what might be coming next.

"Yeah," he responded. He was going to let them have this one, but they would be talking about this later. _'Isn't that something? Dean Winchester was going to initiate a chick-flick moment_.' he mused.

"You might want to do something about that," he smiled, pointing at the tupperware in Dean's hand. For once, Dean was happy for the distraction even if it was about his mangled lunch.

"I wanna know about the coffee," Benny grinned at him.

"Dunno. Haven't tried it yet," he said with a shrug of his shoulders.

"Try it!" Charlie loudly prompted. Next thing he knew everyone were eagerly watching him. He groaned, brought the mug up to his lips and took sip.

"Whoa," he breathed out. He looked wided eyed at his family then back at the mug in his hand. "This is perfect. I mean it's exactly the way I like it. He used the vanilla creamer I have at home, and he didn't add any sugar, and it’s really strong coffee."

"Gimme that," Charlie demanded and took it out of his hands before he could respond.

"Whoa," she said with wide eyes of her own after one sip. She took another sip. "Whoa." He knew she would like it before she took a sip because they had similar taste in coffee--the same love for strong coffee that was only sweetened with vanilla or cinnamon-vanilla flavored creamer. What could he say? They had simple tastes.

"Give that back," he said, snatching it out of her hand. "Last time I checked that was made for me and not you. The fuck, Charlie?! Half of it is gone already," he said, giving the container a little shake.

"The rest of it would have been gone too if you hadn't interrupted me," she grumbled and put a hand on her hip.

"It's mine," he defended.

"You can get to make you coffee anytime," she retorted.

"I can't ask the guy to make me coffee every morning," he shot back at her with a disbelievingly look on his face.

"Why not?"

"I can't ask the guy to cater to my every needs," he exasperatedly said, noticing her not-so-subtle wince, but continued, "he's doing more enough as it is already." He also noticed the blush across her face. She was probably embarrassed by her actions. ' _What else was there for her to blush about?_ '

"Okay, Dean. Finished your coffee or share it. Whatever. The rest of us are going to get started," Bobby said. He turned and walked through the door leading to the workshop with the other falling into step behind him.

"Dean!" Charlie shouted, as he started to chug his coffee.

"Here you go," he grinned as he handed her the mug.

"You ass!" she yelled after giving the mug a little shake. She then hit him with it.

"Charlie!" he yelled but had a smile on his face. He dodged her next swing at him and grabbed both her arms before she could strike again. He then kissed her cheek and ran to the workshop, leaving her gobsmacked.

"This isn't over, Winchester!" she vowed, and he snickered as he left the room.

~~~★~~~

The doorbell rang just as Cas was stirring the elbow macaroni in the pot so that they didn't stick together as they boil.

"I'll get it, Henry" Cas told him, not even turning around to look at him or seizing his stirring. He gave the elbows on last good stir and put the clear-glass cover over the pot. He turned around and smiled at Henry who was sitting on the island, grating some Parmesan cheese for him. ' _His little helper_ ,' he fondly thought. He walked up to him and kissed the top of his head. "I'll be right back."

"Okay," he absentmindedly said, not stopping in his task, causing Cas to chuckle. Cas left him to his work and made his way to the front door. Standing on the doorstep, when he opened the door, was Mary Winchester. She was wearing a dark brown, sleeveless dress that was up to her knees with black flats. Her hair was tied in a bun. All she need now where glasses, and she would have the whole teacher slash librarian look down. Accurate since she helped out at her school library from time to time, as she told him yesterday.

"Why didn't you just come in?" asked Cas who drew his eyebrows together. "You're the last person who needs an invitation to come here or barge right in." He gave her a lopsided grin, and she smiled right back at him.

"Sorry, I was--"

"Trying to seem like you guys have manners?" he said, arching an eyebrow at her.

"I-I...yes," she sighed, slumping her shoulders.

"Don't stop on account of me. Barge right in," he laughed. "I have siblings that constantly do it, so I'm used to it all."

"Well, okay then," she cheerily said and pushed right past him. Cas threw his head back in laughter, drowning out Mary's laugh. He closed the door and looked at her glowing face.

"Where's Henry?" she questioned.

"He's helping me grate some cheese for Mac 'n Cheese," he whispered. She looked at his suspiciously. "I'm judging by the lack of noise he didn't hear it was. So, do you want to surprise him?" he asked with a wink.

"Ah," she said then lowered her voice, "lets." He walked in front of her to block Henry from seeing her. When he got to the kitchen, Henry looked up holding half a block cheddar cheese.

"Who was it?" he questioned.

"I don't know. I was kinda hoping you would tell me," Cas said as he moved to the side.

His eyes got wide, and he shouted, "Nana!" He dropped the cheese on the plate in front of him and made grabby hand at Mary.

"Hi, sweetheart," she chuckled as she walked up to the island. She picked him up, and he wrapped his arm tightly around her neck and subsequently rubbing his cheese covered fingers on her dress. Mary didn't care though and hugged him just as tight.

"What are you doing here?" he excitedly asked when they separated.

"Well, I didn't have work to do, so I decided to come visit my favorite grandson," she said with a kiss to his cheek.

"I'm you're only grandson," he said and crinkled his forehead. Mary and Cas threw their heads back and laughed at his utter confusion.

"She was joking, Henry," Cas told him when he calm down.

"Oh...I'm still your favorite, right?" he asked in a quiet, shy voice.

Mary gave a soft smile. "You'll always be the most important man in my life," she said and kissed his forehead. He graced her with a big smile for that. "So, what are you and Cas doing?"

"We're making Mac 'n Cheese!" he excitedly said. "And Cas said that I can help cut up the cheese."

"Lucky you. Is there anything that I can do?" she asked.

"Cas?" Henry called, looking over her shoulders at Cas, who was still standing in front of the kitchen door.

"I would love if you helped, but I don't want you to mess up you dress," he said as he walked up to her and plucked the strands of shredded cheese stuck to the back of her dress before she could turn around.

She turned to the side so that they were both facing him. "Thank you. I guess it wouldn't be such a good idea to cook in this dress," she said, resigned.

"Yeah," Cas sadly said. "Can you stay for lunch though?" he asked afterwards.

"As a matter of fact, I can," she told him as she put Henry back down on the island. He didn't get how she could put him down. He was have a hard time letting him go. "I have a break now then I get a half-an-hour lunch break after."

Cas looked at the microwave and saw that it was 11:17 If what he remembered from school is correct it meant that she had to return by 12:45. That was enough time for her to eat with them. He walked over to the stove to check on the macaroni. One stir showed that they were ready to be drained. He used the musical note designed pot-holders to lift up the pot and drained it in the white strainer he had already place in the sink when he started cooking. Once drained, he loaded the macaroni in the see-through lasagna dish on the countertop.

"You're making it from scratch?" Mary asked as he put the saucepan on the stove.

"Yeah," he said as he turned on the stove.

"Impressive," she said.

He walked to the fridge and opened the door saying, "Thank you. Never could stand the cheese pack flavoring that came with the box."  He got out the butter that Dean put behind the milk. He took the half-gallon milk out as well to reduce time.

"I'm on the fence about it," Mary stated as Cas measured out three cups of milk.

"Never found one I liked," Cas said and added two tablespoons of butter to the saucepan. He stirred it with a wooden spoon until it was completely melted. He got out the flour from the cupboard above him, added a teaspoon and continued stirring. He added another teaspoon until he made a roux. He then slowly added the milk as he stirred.

"How do you like having Cas live here, Henry?" he heard Mary asked, and he couldn't help but smile.

"It's awesome!" he shouted as Cas poured the last of the milk into the mixture. Cas smile got wider, and Mary chuckled. Cas stopped stirring and walked over to the island. Henry was still sitting on the island, but Mary was now seated on a stool next to him. He kissed Henry's forehead. He then measured out half-a-cup of Parmesan cheese and two cups of cheddar cheese. He figured that he would pack up the leftover cheese in a container and use it for something else later on.

"I bet it is," she said as Cas returned to the stove. Cas heard the fondness in her voice though. He then added the cheese and resumed stirring.

"What are you guys going to do after lunch?" she asked Henry. Cas was assuming she was asking Henry since he wasn't exactly facing her right now.

"Cas said that we're gonna draw after we eat," he excitedly proclaimed.

"Really?"

"Yeah! Cas buyed different color paper for me, and crayons, and markers, and pencils!" he said. He was probably beaming at her right now. He couldn't keep the smile off his face when they were in the store. It was even worse trying to get him to pick which ones he liked.

"Cas--" Mary started to say but Cas cut her off.

"He didn't have any drawing paper, and most of his crayons were missing, so I got him supplies. I wanted to, so please don't apologize or say 'I shouldn't have.'" he said. He stirred the mixture in the saucepan to make sure all the cheese had melted.

"Thank you," she said. He didn't see her trying to not get choked up as she said it.

"I really didn't mind," he honestly said and turned off the stove, having deemed the sauce ready. He used one of the pot-holders to lift the saucepan. He carried it over to the macaroni and poured half of it over them. He put the saucepan down and used the wooden spoon to mix the macaroni and the sauce together.

"That smells good," Mary commented.

"It's going to taste better once it's finished baking," he told her.

"You're going to bake it?" she incredulously asked

"Yeah. I mean you could eat it like this, but it's so much better baked. If you eat it like this it would be the same as if you made it the regular way," he said then added the remaining sauce, using the spoon to make sure he got all of it. He mixed them together again, making sure that the macaroni was coated evenly. When he finished mixing it together, he went back over to the stove. He put the saucepan back on the stove and turned on the burner that the skillet he used this morning was on--newly washed, of course.

"What are you going to do with that?" Mary questioned.

"I'm going to use that to make the breadcrumb topping," he said as he added two tablespoons of butter to the skillet. He added the half-a-cup of breadcrumbs that he had already toasted and blended up prior to this.

"That doesn't look store bought," she said.

"Cas made it!" Henry said. Cas smiled while he stirred the breadcrumbs, trying to get them perfectly brown.

"Wow."

Once they were perfectly browned, he turned off the stove. He lifted the skillet over to the nicely coated macaroni and layered it with the breadcrumbs. He put the now empty skillet back on the stove and opened the oven that he preheated at three-hundred-and-fifty degrees. He then transferred the lasagna dish to the stove and closed it. One look at the microwave told him it was 11:31 which means that it would be finished around 12:00. He thought about cleaning up now but decided against it. He did know  something that needed cleaning though. He got a paper towel from by the microwave and wet it. He wrung it out once. He turned around and walked to the island, approaching his intended target. He couldn't help but smile when Henry held out his hands when he got there. He also noticed the small smile Mary had. He quickly cleaned his hands, making sure to get between his fingers. When he finished he picked up the plate that had the leftover cheese and cheese grater. He took that to the countertop and then disposed of the used paper towel in the trash on the other side of the fridge.

"You seemed really surprised by all of this. I really did think you did all of this," Cas said when he stopped at the island. Henry automatically lifted his arms, and Cas picked him up. Mary left out a frustrated gust of wind at that. Cas chuckled and sat on the stool facing her. He had Henry on his lap with an arm around him. Henry pressed his back to Cas's chest and rested his arm on Cas's, stroking the back of Cas's hand with his thumb.

"You have met our family. They are the epitome of an American family. Any simple thing would please them, so I never get a chance to experiment with food," she frustratedly sighed. "When I do they just scarf it down, and give one worded responses. So when I do try new thing, I end up testing it myself. That led me to experiment less."

"What about the other girls?"

"They're on the same boat as me. They cook what their man likes," she said with a distasteful look, "and that's about it. They are like most women today. They just cook what they need to. The only one that experiments is Gilda, and that's only with pastries for the bakery." The look on her face didn't change much, just intensified.

"You should just do it," Cas said. "My father used to always say that you should never cook because you need to, but because you want to. The thing people seem to forget is that cooking is an art form, and it should be treated as such--with dedication and passion." He took a deep breath and went on, "do it because it's what makes you happy. Do it because it brings you peace. Do it because it's in you and needs to come out."

"Wow," she said then added after a few seconds, "was he the one who taught you how to cook?"

"Yeah," he tiredly said. "It was more of a bonding thing for us than actual teaching. He taught me how to love what I create and never be afraid to share it."

"He must be one wise man," she softly said.

"Was," he said. "He was a wise man and an even more wonderful father."

"I'm so sorry," she quietly said. Cas heart skipped a beat when Henry squeezed his thumb. He kissed the top of his head and smiled into his hair.

"It's okay," he assure her, "and thank you. You know my family thought I would become a chef because of him, but I really took what he said very seriously. Therefore considering it an occupation didn't sit well with me. If I wanted to cook, it was because I wanted to do it for me and the people I care about, and not because it was a job requirement."

"That's really wonderful," she commented, sweetly smiling at him.

"You shouldn’t stop," he told her, "and if you need someone to be your guinea pig then I am more than happy to obliged. Day or night, I would be more than happy to taste whatever you make."

"You're really perfect," she adoringly stated, getting a little misty eyed.

"Yeah, he is," Henry second from comfortable spot on Cas's lap. He had been quiet the entire time, enjoying being close to Cas.

"I'm really not," he embarrassingly said. His cheeks flushed red, and he tried to bury his face in Henry's hair.

"Let others be the judge of that," she said, grinning at his flustered state. Henry giggled from his perch, and Cas tightened his arm around him and gave him another kiss to the top of his head. 

~~~★~~~

Cas was taking out the Mac 'n Cheese when the doorbell rang for a second time today.

"I'll get it," Mary said as she stood up from her stool. She walked out the kitchen as Cas walked to the island with the Mac 'n Cheese. He put it down on the pad he already placed in the center of the island.

"Grandpa!" Henry exclaimed and jumped off the stool he was sitting on. Cas's heart was in his throat the moment he did that. Henry ran into John's open arms. John lifted him up and gave his a good squeeze. When they let go of each other, John threw him in the air and then caught him. Henry's laughter drowned out Cas's rapidly beating heart. Mary saw his slightly stricken look and winked at him.

"I hope you don't mind me stopping by for lunch," John said. Henry was now sitting on one of his arms.

"You all really need to remember that this is your son's house, and not mine," Cas joked, "and there is more than enough for all of us." He really shouldn't be thinking about how it felt like he was the lady of the house, and he was entertaining guests. "I'll--"

"No, you start cutting," Mary said, cutting him off. "I'll get the plates." She walked over to the cupboard, and John walked over to the island with Henry. Cas set about cutting the Mac 'n Cheese, cutting a large piece for John, a medium piece for him and one for Mary and finally a small piece for Henry. He loaded them on the plates Mary got, careful not to burn himself. He then took his seat after that, right next to Henry with John and Mary opposite them.

"So much better baked," Mary announced. "I would really love to have the recipe."

"I'll write it down for you," Cas said.

"Thank you," she said. "What do you think, Henry?"

"It's really, really good," he praised, "better than Dad's." He had an astonished look on his face causing them to all laugh.

"Whoa," John said around a mouthful of Mac 'n Cheese.

"See what I mean?" Mary exasperatedly asked then burst out laughing with Cas.

"What?" he said--mouth still filled. "It really good," he defended.

"We weren't laughing at that, honey," she laughed. He rolled his eyes at her and continued eating. They all did smile though at the pleased little sounds Henry was making.

"Oh," John said, perking up, "before I forget. Dean really loved the coffee you made him, and so did Charlie."

"That's nice," he shyly said, "and tell them thanks." He quickly looked back down at his food,scooped up another mouthful and put it in his mouth. He didn't want them to see him blush. He felt warm all over knowing that Dean loved the coffee he made him. He really shouldn't be thinking about it, but he couldn't help himself.

"Sure," he promised, "but I gotta say that was pretty good luck. Getting it right on your first try."

"Actually," he smiled sheepishly at them, "Henry helped me out."

"What?" they both said in unison. It was really sweet when they turned towards each other and smiled. Cas's heart ached for that. That was what he wanted: to be so in love with the other person even after so many years have passed.

"I just asked him how what his dad normally puts in his coffee and how strong he likes it," he said then added, "kids are really observant." Cas turned to Henry. "Looks like you really know your dad," he smirked. Henry grinned at him--mouth filled with Mac 'n Cheese that were stuck between his teeth. It shouldn't look so endearing, but it was. Cas couldn't help by run his fingers through the hair on the side of his head.

"But, still," John said, "that was one heck of a good first try."

"You know there's still some left," he informed him, "I could heat it up and make you some."

"That kind of you," he smiled, "but Dean and Charlie are the one ones who drink their coffee that strong." He ended his statement with a little laugh. "Hmm?" he said with a thoughtful look on his face. "I might not want it, but Charlie would really love some since Dean was greedy with his coffee this morning," he said with a wicked grin.

"Then, I would be happy make it for her," he grinned at John. "We can't have her not fully functioning, now can we?"

"Absolutely," John agreed.

"You guys are terrible," Mary said, looking down at her plate, shaking her head. John and Cas looked her then back at each other and resumed grinning at each other. 

~~~★~~~

"Are you sure want to take that to work?" Mary asked from the passenger seat of the car. John was driving her back to work before he went back to the auto shop. She insisted that she was more than fine with walking, but he didn't want her to walk all the way there. The middle school was only an eight-minute walk away, but John wouldn't take 'no' for an answer. ' _All the men in this family are overprotective idiots. But you can't help but love 'em_ ,' she thought to herself.

"Yeah," he said as he parked in front of Liberty Memorial Central Middle School. "I'm going to get hungry later on." He paused then continued with, "You know, I might just end up letting everybody have a taste. It's a good thing Cas made a lot of Mac 'n Cheese." Mary didn't respond to him. She just looked out the window at the school. "Mary?" her husband called.

"Huh?" she said, turning her head. "Sorry," she said with a shake of her head, "I was thinking about Cas."

"What about him?" John inquired.

"Dean's heart isn't the only one that gonna break if Cas finds someone," she sadly said as looked down to her lap, twiddling her thumbs.

"What do you mean?" he questioned.

She glanced at him. She couldn't help but noticed how much his face had aged. His once smooth face now had wrinkles on every surface imaginable. The only thing that hadn't changed were his eyes. They were still the bright light brown color she fell in love with. She pretty sure if she was looking through those eyes, she would see how much she herself has aged. What could she expect when she spent a majority of her life chasing after two boys? Any parent would tell someone how difficult it was looking after one child, let alone two. They would tell you how worth it it was though. Being there when they were born; when they took their first steps; when they said their first words. The first time they got a cold. The day a parent realized their child no longer depended on him or her for every little thing. Then there was the day when a parent had to share their love with someone else. And finally the day when their child got to experience the same feeling you had when your life changed forever. Some days one would feel overwhelmed, but one pushed forward because their child meant everything to you. When one couldn't, he  or she had someone fall back on. That was something that Dean didn't have. He didn't get to feel how wonderful it was to experience all these things with someone who would want to share in his joy. He wouldn't get to watch his pride and joy mirrored in the eyes of someone else. He wouldn't get to look up at loved filled eyes staring at him while he was showing his son how to fix up his 'baby.' Why? Because he had been so hurt that he was afraid to open up again.

"It's only a matter of time before someone realizes how wonderful of a guy Cas is," she defeatedly stated. How cruel was it the universe to drop the one person that was completely perfect for Dean into his laps, but he could never have him? "He is one handsome young man. Plus he is kind and would make anyone happy. Pretty soon the women around here are going to take notice."

"Mary," he tiredly said, "I know how much you like this guy, but you can't not want him to be happy. If he's going to come into our family then as his family, we should want him to be happy." He reached over and took both her hands in his. "Don't you think this is hurting me, too? We finally meet someone that we not only approve of but actually care about, and we have someday watch him be happy with someone else. We have to watch Dean and Henry watch him be happy with someone else."

"Part of me hoped that the way Dean was yesterday was a fluke, but getting to know Cas today. I can say that there is no way that Dean wouldn't fall in love with him," she sadly smiled or at least tried to make light of the situation, but it hurt too much. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. "I really don't know if him being here is such a good idea."

He rested his cheek on her head. "Do you regret meeting him?" he asked.

"No," she said, shaking her head, "he too nice for you not want him in your life."

"You never know," he said, "Cas might have opened the floodgates, and Dean finally finds someone."

She pulled out of his embrace and leveled him with serious look. "I don't want someone else," she said, "I want Cas."

"You really sound like Henry right now," he grinned at her.

"John," she warned.

He gave her a quick peck on the lips and pulled her close again. "Sorry," he said, "let’s not worry about this right now, Let’s not focus on that right now, let’s focus on the fact that he makes Dean and Henry happy."

"You're right," she said into his chest. As much as she knew she should be happy if Cas found love, she really couldn't bring herself to be. She felt horrible about it, having a son who couldn't find love then not wanting someone else to find love. But she couldn't help herself. Why would God even bring him into their lives just to torture them? What was he doing? 

~~~★~~~

"Hiya, boss," Charlie greeted John as he walked into the auto shop. She was behind the front desk, playing with her tablet. Dean was laying on one of the chairs in the waiting room with his feet on the the table. His empty tupperware was on the chair next to him, and he was rubbing his stomach.

"Hi, Charlie," he said then added, "Dean get your feet off the table."

"Can't," he moaned, "too full." John shot him a disbelievingly look, not that it mattered since he had his eyes closed and head tilted back.

"How was lunch?" Charlie asked as if Dean wasn't in the room, and John wasn't just talking to him. He shook his head at her. ' _I hope Cas knows what he was getting himself into_ ,' he thought.

"Really good," John told her. "Oh, and Cas sent you coffee," he added, holding up the green travel mug he had.

"What!?" Dean yelled and catapulted out of his chair. "Whoa," he said as he put an arm around his stomach. John had to restrain from laughing at his distress.

John walked past him towards Charlie. "Here ya go," he cheerily said, handing her the mug.

"Thanks," she said, happily accepting the mug.

"What the hell?" Dean said, and they looked at him as he approached them.

"What's the matter, Dean?" John sarcastically asked. "I just brought Charlie some coffee." Next to him, Charlie made a little moan. John grinned at Dean's dumbfounded look. He looked back at Charlie. "How's the coffee?" he asked.

"Even better that it was this morning," she said with a blissed out look on her face.

"That's not surprising," he mused, "since Cas did add some freshly grounded cinnamon to it." John couldn't help the smile he had thinking about how Cas got out the cinnamon to spice the coffee up, asking "who doesn't like cinnamon?" They both damn well knew who was in love with the flavor. Mary bemoaned the fact that she had to go back to teaching and missing Dean’s reaction. Speaking of which, Dean's face was contorted into a mixture of confusion, disbelief and hunger.

"Let me get a sip," Dean demanded.

"Nuh-uh," she said with a shake of her head. "Cas made this especially for me, and you already had yours." To add insult to injury, she took a long, slow sip and let out a pronounced 'ah.'

"Charlie," he said and propelled over to snatch the mug from her. She was, however, quicker than him and pushed her chair back, narrowly evading him. She took a big gulp, not taking her eyes off of him. "Charlie, hand that over now, and nobody gets hurt," he warned her.

"What the hell is going on in here?" they heard a voice said. They turned and spotted Benny standing by the door to the workshop with a slightly amused and confused expression on his face.

"Just Dean and Charlie fighting over coffee," John smirked at him.

"Again?" he question with furrowed eyebrows.

"Apparently, Cas makes really good coffee." John couldn't help but continue smirking.  Mary wasn't the only one that was really attached to this guy. He practically felt like family already. The fact that he was so willing to help him tease Dean after knowing him for such a short period of time was more than he could ask for. Thinking about it now, Cas could have made the coffee the same as he did this morning, but he knew he would have had more fun if it was better. ' _Fuck, Mary. I'm pretty sure my heart would break too if he left us and moved on with his life_ ,' John thought.

"He sent more coffee?" Benny asked, surprised.

"Dean!" Charlie yelped.

"Never let your guard down," Dean smirked. It looked like he got the mug away from her when she was listening to him and Benny talk. He lifted the mug and gulped down what John assumed was the rest of it.

"Dean!" she yelled again, but he paid her no mind.

"Damn," he said when he finished, "that was better than the one he made me." He was unaware that he sounded a little hurt by that, but John heard it, and he was pretty sure Charlie did, too. Dean was, however, staring at the mug like it would reveal what made the coffee so good. ' _Keep looking, Dean_ ,' John thought. ' _The thing that made that coffee so good is slowly worming its way into all our hearts_.'

"Wow," John said, choosing to ignore the glares Charlie was sending Dean's way, and the goofy grin he returned. John pulled out his BlackBerry and texted Cas.

_John: Coffee was a success. Charlie is glaring at Dean and Dean is really smug right now. He got the coffee away from her_

He got a response not too long after.

_Cas: I have no idea what you are talking about. I was just being a Good Samaritan._

_John: youre a saint cas_

John was unaware that the room had gone quiet, and that he was grinning like a mad fool. He also didn't notice when Bobby and Ash walked in--both looking at his suspiciously.

_Cas: You are most kind, John._

_Cas: Do you think Charlie would like some more coffee tomorrow? Or perhaps a freshly baked muffin?_

John couldn't help the laugh that erupted out of him. He threw his head back and bellowed a big laugh. Pretty soon he was clutching his stomach with tears in his eyes. He whipped his eyes and texted Cas back--still laughing a little.

  _John: i think you should deliver this one personally this time_

_John: its only right_

_Cas: I wholeheartedly agree with you._

John chuckled and looked up to see his family gawking at him. Dean and Bobby were looking at him liked he grew a second head. Charlie had a slightly bemused expression on her face. Benny had an arched eyebrow directed at him, and Ash was just grinning at him. He was about to respond when is phone vibrated again.

_Cas: Henry said to tell Dean 'Hi, Daddy.'_

John smirked at the message. "Henry said 'hi,'" he smiled at Dean. "I'm sorry. Henry said 'Hi, Daddy,'" he corrected. That snapped Dean out of his shocked state.

"You were talking to Cas?" Bobby asked, beating Dean to it.

"Yeah," John responded.

"How the hell did you get his number?" Dean questioned.

"The same way I got the coffee and macaroni and cheese," John said, waving the tupperware he realized he was still holding, "by going to your house."

"You said you were meeting Mom for lunch!" Dean shouted.

"I did," he defended. "I just never said where," he said and rubbed the back of his neck with the hand he had his phone in.

"Mac 'n Cheese is typical kid-friendly food and simple to make," Ash surmised, earning him a glare from Dean. "What? I was just pointing it out."

"Kid-friendly? Yes," John agreed. "Simple? Not so much. This doesn't taste like any Mac 'n Cheese I have ever had."

"Nice try, Dad," Dean said, crossing his arms over his chest. "We're still not finished talking about the fact that you and, apparently, Mom went to my house to check on Cas."

"We didn't go to check up on his, Dean," John said with an annoyed look. "Your mom went to see Henry, and Cas asked if she wanted to stay for lunch."

"And let me guess, she conveniently forgot you had lunch plans?" he said in mock seriousness.

"No, Dean," John sternly told him. "Cas offered, and you mother accepted because she wanted to spend time with her grandson and wanted to get to know Cas."

"I-I'm sorry," Dean said, deflating. "It's just that Henry really likes this guy--"

"You don't think we know this?" John said, cutting him off. "You don't think we see how much he likes this guy? For your information, your mother and I really like this guy, too." He didn't want to sound harsh, but Dean really needed hear what he had to say.

"What?" he said with widened eyes. He wasn't the only one, too. Ash and Benny's eyes were, too. Bobby had a thoughful look on his face, and John wanted to know what was going through his friend's head. Charlie didn't seem all that surprised by his admission. He guessed she must know why they liked Cas so much already. He saw her face go gloom, reaffirming what he thought before.

"Yeah, we like him, too. I'm pretty sure your mother already adopted him as another son," he weakly laughed. He didn't want to think about the fact that Mary always said that she would treat the people her kids marry as one of her own--never making them feel like they didn't belong in the family. "So, we're not going to do anything to jeopardize this for Henry. Frankly, you're the only one that has a problem with us going over there," he said with an irritated look. "Cas acted like it was the most normal thing in the world and talked with us like we didn't just showed up out of nowhere. Hell--" he threw his head back, "--Cas even joked about how it was your house, and we really needed to stop apologizing for just showing up." He gave him a stern look. "So, stop. You're just going to drive yourself, and the rest of us, crazy with your worrying." John raised a hand to stop him from saying anything. "Yes, you are worrying, and for no reason. Cas is a smart guy. If he wasn't okay with this, he would have left by now. Got it?"

"I got it, Dad," he weakly said.

"Good," John nodded. "So, I felt bad for eating two portions and then taking the leftovers--what?" he said at their raised eyebrows. "I was hungry. Anyway, I decided to let you guys have a taste." He waved the tupperware again.

"Don't mind if I do," Ash said, moving forward.

"Ladies, first," Charlie said.

"Pssh," Dean said, taking the container form her.

"You don't get any, Dean," she told him, attempting to get the container back, but he lifted it above his head.

"What?" he responded.

"You live with the guy."

"What? That doesn't mean I can tell him to cook for me," he rebutted. John noticed how she stiffened a little. He could make a pretty good guess as to what went through her head then.

"I know that, but there's a high chance he's going to cook make it again for you," she refuted, hand on her hips now. John and Bobby shared amused looks.

"Doubt it," he said, crossing his arms again, "he only made that for Henry, and Mom and Dad only got some because they were over there."

"Then how come your dad had two portions and leftovers," she triumphantly said.

"I-I...that doesn't matter!" he shouted. "I'm still getting some."

"Dean, stop being greedy," she said. "For all we know, Cas is probably making you dinner tonight."

He gave her a blank look. "Sure," he sarcastically said, "he finished making my kid lunch then he's going make us dinner later on. Sure, Charlie." He rolled his eyes at her.

"Spaghetti and meatballs," John said before Charlie could respond. Everyone turned to look at him, and he grinned at them.

"What?" Charlie said in an utter confusion.

John's grin got wider. "Spaghetti and meatballs," he repeated. "Cas is making spaghetti and meatballs tonight. And your mother and I got invited over tonight." He stopped grinning then and leveled them with a serious look. "Just Mary and I." They could wait their turn to get to know Cas. Tonight was Mary and his turn.

"Boo," Ash said, slumping his shoulders.

"Tell me about," Charlie glumly said. "Don't look so smug, Dean," she added not even looking at him. The rest of them laughed when the smug look on his face fell. While laughing, something popped into his head.

"I should probably tell Cas to make a lot," he said to himself then unlocked his phone.

"Dad!" Dean yelled, scandalized. He ignored him and texted Cas.

_John: make a lot tonight Dean and i can really pack spaghetti and meatballs away_

"Let’s see how much Cas minds," John said to still shocked Dean. About a minute later, Cas texted back. Everyone ,except John, held their breath. John rolled his eyes at their anxious expression and opened the message.

_Cas: Yeah. Mary already told me how much of it you guys eat. Henry and I are actually at the store right now getting some stuff. I do have bad news though. Mary said I need to set some aside for Sam, who's more of a connoisseur than the two of you--he doesn't look like it though. Also, Mary and I decided to send some to Andrea, who has been craving a lot of starch lately. I would say 'sorry,' but she told me to tell you two to 'suck it up.'_

"Cas really hates us now," John said and showed his phone to Dean. Dean took his phone, and the others gathered around him.

"He's too good for us," Charlie said in awe. John had to kinda agree with her. Cas was a really great guy. It made her statement even truer that he didn't seem fazed by any of their antics.

"How do they know Andrea had been craving starch lately?" Benny questioned.

"What goes on in this family that Mary doesn't know about?" Bobby scoffed out. John nodded his head. One would think that they would have realized by now that they all go to her with their problems--even for the simplest thing.

"And she told them to 'suck it up,'" Ash laughed.

"Hilarious," John deadpanned, taking his phone back from Dean. "I'm going to get back to work  while the rest of you decide what to do with that," he motioned to the tupperware. He turned around and head for the door but stopped halfway. "Oh. And Dean," he said, "try not to wave with your hands full this time." He continued walking, then grinned to himself when he heard a groan form behind him. 

~~~★~~~

"Henry," Dean called as he walked through the front door. He put his keys on the Winchester themed key-holder his mom special ordered.

"Daddy!" Henry yelled as he ran out the kitchen. ' _What was he doing in there?_ ' Dean thought as he open his arms for Henry, ' _and why is he in his underwear?_ ' He was wearing his plain white underwear and a plain dark red t-shirt. Henry went into his open arms and locked his arms around Dean's neck when he lifted him up. He hugged Dean tight, almost squeezing the life out of him. He let go of his neck and faced Dean, resting his hands on Dean's chest. Dean kissed both of his cheeks and asked, "Did you have fun with Cas?"

"Yeah," he beamed a smile at Dean. "Did Grandpa tell you 'hi?'"

"Yeah," Dean smiled at him, "he did." He kissed his nose, but to his surprise Henry didn't complain about it.

He decided to walk to the kitchen, figuring out that was where Cas probably was. When he got to the kitchen, Cas was at the island with a variety of items scattered on it. He was standing in front of a big steel bowl with three packets of meat on the side of it. A loaf of bread was in front of the bowl. There was chopped parsley, garlic and onion in a bowl. Black pepper and salt was in another and grated cheese was in a small bowl, and a single egg was next to them. There was half a nutmeg, and a used cheese grater, which meant that the rest of the nutmeg was in one of the bowls. There were three other small bowl. Two of them were filled with what he assumed was breadcrumbs, and one that wasn't filled with anything. Cas had a contemplative look on his face as he surveyed the ingredients before him. He was wearing a black short-sleeved Henley. From the top of his pants that Dean could see, he was wearing dark blue jeans.

"Hey, Cas," he greeted.

Cas whipped his head up and looked at them. "Hello, Dean," he answered. Dean saw Henry yawn out of the corner of his eye, where he was seated on Dean's arm.

"You tired, bud?" Dean asked.

"No," Henry said, rubbing his eyes. He then blinked his eyes slowly to wake himself up. Dean couldn't resist kissing him on the cheek. "I'm going to put him down for a nap," he told Cas.

"But I already took one," he protested.

"He woke up not too long ago," Cas informed him. "I told him he should go back to sleep if he was still tired, but he wanted to be wake when you got home." Cas smiled fondly at Henry, and Henry smiled back at him. ' _That would explain why he was in his underwear_ ,' he concluded. 

"You're adorable," Dean said with a kiss to his cheek.

"Dad!" he whined, giving Dean an offended look.

"Isn't he adorable, Cas?"

"Yes. Very adorable," grinned Cas.

"Cas!" he whined again, causing Dean to laugh at him. He pouted. To placate him, Dean gently ran the tip of his nose up and down his cheek. Henry sighed at the action and leaned in closer to Dean's body. That was when Dean got an idea. He moved his head back and slotted his face into the space between Henry's head and neck.

"Nom-nom-nom," Dean said, causing his to shriek with laughter.

"Dad, stop!" shouted, then loudly laughed. He feebly attempted to push Dean's chest to get him to stop. But Dean wasn't going to let him get away with being that cute.

"Nom-nom," Dean repeated. This time he was pretending to bite his cheek. Henry laugh louder and tried to move back, but Dean used his free hand to keep him for going anywhere. "You're the cutest thing in existence," Dean said, punctuating every word with a kiss to Henry's cheek. When he looked over to Cas, he had his head bowed and smiling at the bowl in front of him. Dean looked back at Henry and asked, "So, what did you and Cas do while I was gone?"

Henry's face light up. "Me and Cas went to the store and got different color paper, and crayons, and markers and pencils. We got white paper, too? I don't know why, but Cas said that I might need it, and I did! Nana was here, and Grandpa came over, too. And Cas made yummy Mac 'n Cheese. Then I drawed a picture while Cas cleaned up. Later, we went to the store again, but this time we got food. Then me and Cas watched TV--" he stopped, took a deep breath, and continued, "--then I fell asleep. I tried really hard not to." He looked earnestly at Dean. "Then I woke up and was in my bed. I looked for Cas in his room, but he wasn't there.  Cas doesn't take nap like you do. Did you know that?"

"I didn't," Dean sheepishly said. When Dean looked at Cas he had one eyebrow raised. He had both hands on the edge of the island, leaning forward, and he head turned towards them. Dean looked away embarrassed. So he enjoyed napping. Sue him. Dean froze in place when something occurred to him. He rapidly looked back at Cas. "You bought hi--" Dean started to say but stopped when Cas raised his hand and shook his head.

"Your mother already tried, and I'll tell you what I told her," he said. "I wanted to." He looked straight into Dean's eyes. "I suggested he draw something, and I wasn't going to be the one tell him he couldn't because he didn't have anything to use." Dean was about to argue that he shouldn't have done all of that when the conversation with his dad popped into his head. It was hard for him to accept any help when it came to his family--especially his son--because he didn't want anyone to have something over his head, but it would seem that Cas didn't want anything in return. He was happy doing something for someone else. His dad was right; it would do them all good if he stopped worrying so much and accepted that Cas was a grown man capable of making his own choices.

"Well, thanks again," he said instead. "It nice knowing that he wasn't sitting around watching TV the whole day."

"Dad-Dad-Dad," Henry suddenly said, lightly hitting Dean's chest with his palm.

"Yeah, bud?"

"You have to see what I drawed," he excitedly said, bouncing a little. Dean saw Cas move from the island and walked over to the fridge. Cas took something off the fridge and hid it behind his back.

"Ready to be amazed," he said, walking up to them.

When he got to them Cas moved his hand from behind his back and handed Dean an eight-by-eleven sheet of white construction paper. Dean barked out a laugh at the different colored stick figures that covered the page. They were all standing behind a crooked blue stick house. There were two with yellow hair, which Dean assumed were his mom and Jess. Next to them were a red-head and a brunette. He chuckled when he saw the next one. There was a black hair haired woman with a circle for a stomach holding stick hands with an equally dark haired man with swirls covering his chin. There were two other figure with swirls on their chins. Dean laughed harder at the figure in between the two of them. That one was at least three inches taller than the other ones and had long hair covering his face. Next to them was a serious faced woman, he could only assume was Ellen. Next were another yellowed haired woman and a man long hair on the back of his head. Then there were a black haired man and a brown haired man. They were closer than the rest of them. Before he could dwell on that he saw a small brown head boy, and what appeared to be a...blob?

"What the hell is that?" Dean questioned. He took a closer look at the brown blog with elongated loops hanging. It had what appeared to be a snout. "Is that--" Dean started to question but stopped.

"That's Theodore," Cas answered, obviously knowing what he was referring to. Cas grinned at the confused look he had on his face.

"Theodore?" he questioned.

"Yeah!" Henry excitedly said. "Our dog!" Dean's eyes went wide.

"Good luck with that," Cas said and walked back to the island.

"O-our...what?" Dean sputtered. He glanced at Cas, and Cas widened his eyes and shook his head at him.

"Our dog," Henry stated, smiling brightly at him.

"We don't have a dog," Dean cautiously said. He really hoped Henry didn't bring home a stray Dog. It was one thing that they brought Cas here, but it was another thing to bring home an animal.

"I know," he said, looking at Dean as if he said something stupid.

"Then why did you draw a dog?" he questioned.

"Because Aunty Jo said we needed a dog," he said, tilting his head and looking confused. "She said that everyone has a dog." Dean was going to kill Jo the next time he saw her. He was going to wring her neck. He didn't care that he was going to make Ash a widower so soon after he just got married.

"Buddy, we don't need a dog," sighed Dean. "Aunt Jo only said that because she wanted a dog, and Uncle Ash doesn't. She wants us to get one so she could play with it."

"Why don't we get one?" he inquired. Dean inwardly groaned. Charlie and Jo existed just to make his life more complicated.

"You're not old enough to have a dog," Dean answered. He didn't want to mention that he really didn't have the time and energy to handle a kid and a dog right now. He might eventually have to get a pet. His parents were right: Henry was going to grow up, and he would need something to focus his time and energy on. He would rather spend his time and an energy on something that wouldn't walk away from him. He didn't know why a part of him was telling him that that didn't have to be true. He pushed down that thought before it gathered more steam. The last time he gave into those thought, he had his heart broken.

"When will I be old enough?"

"Maybe in a year or two...or five," Dean said.

"That's too long," he pouted.

"Having a pet is a lot of work," Dean informed him, "and you're not ready yet. Okay?" Henry continued to pout but nodded his head. Dean kissed his temple. (He would get him a pet, but that wasn't something that they could handle right now). Dean kept his lips pressed to him temple, but removed it when Cas said something. "What?"

"He--" he started to say but stopped when Henry started to squirm in Dean’s arms.

"Dad, I gotta potty," he complained. "By myself," he sternly said when Dean tried to leave the kitchen with him. He squirmed harder, and Dean rolled his eyes but put him down.

"Leave the door open and yell if you need anything," Dean called after him. Dean looked at Cas and said, "Ever since he learned how to do it properly, he refused to have me anywhere near the bathroom."

"It happens," Cas shrugged. "They are at an age where they are figuring out their limits and not being dependent on their parent." Dean felt the floor go out from under his feet. It must have shown on his face, because Cas's features changed and he looked fondly at Dean. Dean couldn't explain the lump that formed in his throat. "He going to always need you, Dean," he softly said. Dean found that swallowing just got harder. "No matter how much we grow up, we find that we still need our parents no matter how much we might deny it," he said then added on, "they are always the first people we call when something good happens in our lives, and the first people we think about when something goes wrong."

"Yeah," Dean managed to say around the lump in his throat. He could't count the amount of times he had called his parents when something good happened in his life, or the amount of times their faces came to his mind when he was in trouble. He did, however, remember the day both simultaneously occurred--it was the happiest day of his life, and the day his dreams disintegrated before his eyes.

"Good," Cas said and picked up one packet of meat then ripped the packaging open.

"You seem really okay with cooking for a lot of people," Dean stated. His first initial reaction was to tell Cas he shouldn't have bother making Spaghetti and meatballs for them, but he needed to trust his dad. If Cas was okay doing this then he should just accept it. Make everyone's lives easier by just accepting that this was what Cas wanted to do. The problem that Dean had now was that he wanted to know why. It would help temper his instincts if he knew why he wanted to do all of this.

"Yeah," he said, adding the meat to the bowl. "When I used to live at home--" he ripped open the other packet, "--I used to cook for everyone." He added the meat from that package to the bowl, and picked up the other packet. He looked up at Dean, packet in hand. "My father and I used to do all the cooking in the house, but after he got sick, I was left in charge." He looked down at the packet in his hand and ripped it open before continuing. "I had to cook for seven people--Well, up to seven people whenever my brothers did visit while away at college--so this isn't much different." He started emptying the small bowl filled with ingredients into the bigger bowl. "It feels nice, actually. After my dad died, we all started to slowly go separate way and only got together on major holiday." Once the other ingredients were in the bowl, he cracked the egg in the unused bowl and proceeded to beat it. "Two of my brothers--Gabriel and Baltazar-- left for New York. My sister, Anna, stayed in Illinois where met her husband, Jeffery, at school, then went on to finish medical school. Her residency was in Washington, and they moved there. My older brother, Michael, stayed in Illinois claiming that someone needed to take of the house. He now lives there with his wife, Rachel.” He stopped talking and added the beaten egg to the pile of ingredients. “Lucifer-yes, my father named his son, Lucifer. He stayed for the same reason as Michael but eventually moved out. I would have stayed too--" Cas dug both his hands into the pile, "--but my dad wanted me to go to school somewhere outside of Illinois." He slowly mixed all the ingredients together. "So, I did. I got my degrees then went back home and taught there for a while until I got a job offer here."

"Wow," Dean breathed out. Even though Dean was in awe with his family history, he didn't miss how Cas's voice got tight at the end. Maybe he was reading too much into it. Cas probably missed being close to home. He could understand that. He always got antsy whenever he was away from home for too long. He then furrowed his eyebrows and asked, "Besides Lucifer, you're the only one with a strange name?"

"Yes, it's strange," he said still mixing everything together, "but we're are all named after angels." He ceased his mixing to look at him then continued with "Michael, Lucifer, and Gabriel were named after the archangels. The rest of us were named after lesser known angels."

"You're named after an angel?" they heard an awe-filled voice said. They both turned to see Henry standing by the door with wide, slightly disbelievingly eyes.

"Yes, I am," Cas smiled at him.

"Cool," he said in voice filled with adoration that only a child could achieve. "What angel are you?"

"Castiel, the angel of Thursday, new changes, and travel," he answered.

"Wow."

"What would be even more amazing is if I had someone to help me shape this"--he gestured to the bowl, "--into little balls." Henry ran over to the island and tried getting onto the stool next to Cas. The both laugh at the frustrated huffs he made while trying to get on top to the stool. He eventually gave up and pouted at Cas. Cas raised his meat covered hands at him and tilted his head in Dean's direction. Henry turned his pouting onto him.

"Yes, Henry?" Dean asked, smiling sweetly at him. Cas was biting his lips to prevent from laughing.

"Dad!" he whined. Dean shook his head and went over to him. He picked him up and set him on the stool.

"I'm going to take a quick shower," he said and kissed Henry's temple. "You have fun with Cas."

Dean left the kitchen, but he couldn't stop thinking about how Cas's voice got tight when he was mentioned moving here. Thinking about it now, he realized that maybe Cas was leaving something out. He didn't know why it bothered him so much. Everyone was entitled to have some secrets. Why should Cas be any different? Why was it that there was a part of him that didn't want him to be like everyone else?

' _You're worrying yourself again_ ,' he thought. ' _If Cas had something he wasn't saying then there must be a good reason_.' He got to the stairs but was too absorbed in his thoughts to care. ' _Cas will tell us if it's important. Hell, he opened a lot about his family. He'll tell them eventually_.' The problem was that he wanted to know why so badly, and he didn't know why. 

~~~★~~~

The answer to his question came Tuesday night.

Dean groaned as he opened his eyes. From the lack of light, he could tell that it was still early in the morning. He was going to check the time when his ears picked up a sound from outside his room. He was out of bed faster than the eye could see. His heartbeat was running away from him. He dashed to his room door but abruptly stopped, and he had to hold onto the door frame to prevent from falling. ' _That can't_...' he thought. But it was. Someone was humming. Someone was humming a soothing song. Dean couldn't make out any lyrics, and that really didn't surprise him since it seemed more classical. Dean walked out of his room and straightened when he saw that Cas's door was wide open, and his bed was empty. His sheet was hazardously thrown to the foot of his bed. There wasn't a dent in his pillows, meaning that he was awake for some time.

The humming increase a little in frequency, and Dean's head swerved to look at Henry's room. Standing in the middle of the room was Cas with his arm around Henry's legs, and his hand in the hair on the back of his head. Henry had his face buried in Cas's neck. Cas was wearing black boxer-brief and a black t-shirt. Dean silently walked to the doorway and leaned on the door frame watching them. Cas was swaying from side to side, and making small circles on the back of Henry's head. He had his head resting on Henry's. He never once ceased his humming. From what Dean could see, it looked like the world didn't exist to them. They were so caught up in each other. Dean shifted on his feet and the floorboard creaked a little. Cas's head whipped to the side, and he looked frightened at him for a second.

"Dean," he whispered, thus stopping his movement. Henry made a high pitched whine that was intensified by the silence around them. The sound cut through Dean, and he made a move forward, but stopped. "Sorry," Cas whispered to Henry, and rested his head on his again and returned to doing what he was doing before. Henry sniffled, and Dean felt something claw at his heart.

"What happened?" Dean whispered, but it came out too sharp. Henry whined again, making every part of Dean tensed up.

"Shh," Cas soothed him, pulling him closer and rocking him a little. "He had a nightmare," Cas softly said. Guilt filled Dean's body. ' _How didn't he hear that?_ ' he brokenly thought to himself.

"I-I--" Dean started but was cut off by Cas.

"I was still up when it started," Cas informed him. "So, I got to him before it got worst. Don't blame yourself."

"I--"

"Yes, you were," Cas said, leveling him with a serious look. "You're a really great dad, Dean." He didn't break eyes contact with Dean or stopped running his fingers through Henry's hair. Dean heart rate intensified for the second time tonight. "I'm assuming that you have only heard that form family--people who actually meant it." He stopped and looked glumly at him. "I would know. I have seen it for a good part of my life with my dad. He had to raise six kids on his own, and all he got was pity."

"Cas..." Dean said. Now he knew why Cas never mentioned his mother.

"I meant it when I said you were a great dad," he assured him. "Henry is a great kid. He's adorable," he said and chuckled when Henry made a sleepy sound of protest. "He's advanced for his age, and more importantly he is happy. It's just sad that other people can't see that or how much you love him." The feelings that Dean buried deep down started clawing its way to the surface. "The fact that you're so upset about not behind here when he had a nightmare shows just how much you care. There are a lot of things, actually, that showed how much you cared." Cas smiled fondly at him, but the feelings he buried clawed harder at his inside and held him in place. "It's not only with Henry, you care a lot about your family, too. You're a great dad and a great man. I thought you should know; I sure wished someone had told my father." Cas eyes got misty when he said that, and all Dean wanted to do was hold him. That was when everything imploded. ' _No_...' he miserably thought. ' _I can't be_...' Cas closed his eyes and started humming softly again to Henry. Dean swayed a little when Henry sighed when Cas started humming again.

' _This can't be happening_...' he disbelievingly thought. He could't fall for Cas. He glanced at Cas, and how gently he was rocking back. How tightly Henry was clutching at him--nails, no doubt, digging into Cas's skin--and Cas went on humming. How the nightlight made his face stand out as he slowly rubbed his cheek on the top of Henry's head. The warmth that he couldn't figure out day ago was happily thrumming through his body. Like it knew that he couldn't deny it any longer now that he knew what it was. And he certainly couldn't deny it now. He couldn't deny it when every part of him wanted to walk over to the two of them and put his arms around him. He couldn't help how his body felt light being able to put a name to the feeling he had. This would explain his reaction yesterday when he saw Cas in his underwear. When couldn't help but stare. It would more than explained how his mind went blank when he got a whiff of Cas. Who was he kidding? He was starting to love Cas as it is. There was no falling involved. Cas wormed his way in, and he was stupid enough to push away all the signs. But this couldn't be happening. He could't be in love with Cas. He had finally got comfortable with the fact that it would just be him and Henry, and now this happened.

"Henry," Cas called. "I'm going to stay until you fall asleep, then I'm going to hand you over to your dad. Okay?" Henry didn't say anything but tightened his grip and whimpered. "I know, little prince," he soothed. "It's scary to go back to sleep, but I'll be in the room next door, and your dad will be with you." Dean's breath hitched in his throat when Henry released his grip on Cas and sighed into his neck--allowing himself to fall back to sleep. He now knew why he didn't notice anything before. All the affection and love he felt, he thought was directed to Henry when it was, in fact, directed to Cas. Every irregular thing his heart did was because of Cas. When his heart skipped a beat, when it tugged at him, when it shrouded him in warmth was all because of Cas. He foolishly thought of it as affection toward Henry because that was all he had ever been used to feeling.

"Dean?" Cas called, looking concern.

"Yeah?" he answered, knowing that his voice wavered a little.

"Henry's asleep," He said. "Do you want--"

"Yeah," he quickly said, cutting him off.

Cas walked over to him and handed Henry over. Dean had to steel himself when their skin touched. He couldn't trust his body right now around Cas. That shot a wave of fear through him. It was one thing realizing he was in love with someone, and it was another thing to realize he were in love with someone you couldn't have. Cas was straight. How was he supposed to be around him, and not slip up?

"Dean, I'm sorry if I--"

"No," he said too loudly causing Henry to whimper in his sleep. He shushed Henry then looked at Cas. Cas was the last person that needed to be sorry. He was more than Dean could have asked for--something that really hit home right now. It wasn't his fault that Dean started to care for him. It wasn't his fault that Dean couldn't deal with it. "No, thank you, Cas. For everything."

"You're welcome," he smiled at him and the air in Dean was knocked right out of him. He never noticed that whenever Cas smiled, it was always genuine and never failed to crinkle his eyes.

Cas kissed the top of Henry's head then turned around and walked to his room. "I meant it," he said when he got to his door. "You're a good man, Dean." And with that, Cas walked into his room, closing his door behind him.

Cas had no idea what his words were doing to Dean. Dean was too overcome with his feelings before he realized what Cas said.

 _Good_  wasn't something that people associated with him. He was always the one who skipped class and bad-mouth his teachers. He was the one people didn't see going far in life. He was the one people thought was unfit to raise a kid on his own, claiming he would just create another troublemaker like himself. He was always the one that people wanted for the night, never the one they would take home to meet their family. He was always the pretty face that was toxic to those who got too close. Cas didn't know what he was talking about. He wasn't good. The only things he could managed to keep happy was his family. Anyone outside of that circle just found pain.

"It's a good thing he can't love me back, bud," he whispered. "Charlie was right. He is too good for us, and it would be better if he stayed that way. 

~~~★~~~

To say the next day was a challenge was an understatement. Dean couldn't get himself to fall asleep after he and Henry went to his room. His mind wouldn't shut up about the fact that he didn't see that he was growing attached to Cas as more than a friend. He finally understood why I didn’t sit right with him whenever he thought about Cas as becoming his friend. Some subconscious part of him knew that he didn't want Cas as a friend. He wanted him as more. He finally understood why he felt lighter having Cas around. A part of him saw Cas a co-parent--someone help carry the weight of taking care of a child. He finally understood why he didn't want his family to scare Cas away; it wasn't just for Henry's sake but for his as well. Why was this happening to him? How in the world did he just let him in? How in mere days did he started loving him?

His lack of sleep and those reoccurring questions made breakfast one awkward moment. Cas had once again gotten up early and had made them breakfast. When Dean got to the kitchen, Cas had smiled at him, and Dean couldn't even muster up a proper good morning. How could he have not noticed that he liked that Cas made them breakfast? He was irrationally irritated yesterday when Cas didn't make them anything, and he didn't know why. Now, he did. He was starting to think that he not only wanted Cas but wanted him in his family--something that Henry had figured out a long time ago. Maybe Henry knew that he would fall for this guy. Maybe Henry already fell for Cas like he did, but didn't know it.

Throughout breakfast, Dean spent his time watching his oatmeal and trying to ignore how his heart fluttered when Cas would lovingly respond to whatever Henry was talking about. He knew that he was starting to worry them both, but how could he be honest with them? How could he tell Cas that when he looked at him he didn't see a friend, he saw someone he wanted to touch and hold close to him. How could he say that and sacre away the one person, outside of his family, that his son cared about? How could he tell Cas when a part of him was scared that he would never see him again if he did? So, Dean merely passed off his quietness as a result of being too sleepy. He regretted it when Henry looked apologetically at him, and when Cas kissed Henry's forehead, telling him it wasn't his fault, and Dean didn't blame him for waking him up--Dean would never blame him for that.

"Dean?" He whipped his head up to look at Charlie. Her face was contorted in concern. He really needed to pull himself together. "You okay?" she asked. "You kinda look like Henry did after Cas left the day he showed up here," she added and laughed at the end. ' _Why did she have to mention him?_ ' he questioned in his head.

"I'm fine," he said, masking his voice so that he appeared calm, and not show that everything inside of him was at trying to dominate each other.

"You sure?" she asked in a doubtful tone. "Because you have been staring at your unopened bowl for a good five minutes." Dean's heart ached at that because Cas and Henry had walked him to their door again today. And Henry handed him the sloppy-Joes Cas had saved for him to take for lunch. He once again realized how domestic it seemed, and how he had pushed down those feeling the last time Cas and Henry did this.

"I guess I'm not that hungry today," he shrugged.

"What?" She widened her eyes at him. "You never refuse food," she said, concerned. "And I'm especially sure you would never turn down food Cas made." He knew she saw him flinch when Cas's name was mentioned. "What was that?!" she shouted. He was really glad that the others when out for lunch today.

"What was what?" he said, pretending to be confused.

"That!" she yelled, both arm out, and hands opened wide, gesturing at his entire body.

"What?"

"You just flinched when I said Cas!" she shouted, irritated.

"I didn't," he defended even though they both knew he was lying.

"Yes, you did!" she accused, getting out of her seat and walking around her desk. "Are you and Cas having problems?" she asked, voice laced in disbelief.

"No!" he roared. "Cas is great!" He instantly recoiled at how fondly that sounded. He couldn't deny it though. Cas was great--perfect even. He was smart, funny, unbelievably kind and caring--and it didn't hurt that he looked like his namesake.

"Oh," she softly said. She instantly deflated and sat on the front of her desk, hands holding onto the edge of the desk. She depressingly sighed and gave him a sad look.

"Oh?" he responded with eyebrows drawn together.

"Yeah," she gloomily said and then to herself, "that was faster than we thought." She gave him a sad smile--one that didn't even look like a smile but a small upturn of the left side of her mouth.

"What?" he frustratedly asked. ' _Yeah doesn't really explain anything_.' She gave him a withering expression and refused to say anything. "Charlie, what the hell are you talking about?"

"That you're in love with Cas!" she exasperatedly shouted. They both stood there staring at each other. He saw how the confidence in her eyes wavered for a quick second. On top of it all, it was deadly silently enough that she could possibly hear his heartbeat. "That's why you’re acting like this? Right?" she inquired. "You finally figured it out? We didn't think you would have noticed so soon." She then got a contemplative look on her face. "Or did something happen?"

"Wh-wh-how?" he stammered when something occurred to him. "We?!"

She gave a weak chuckle--a chuckle that was a little hysterical. "As far as I know, it's just your mom, dad and me."

"What?!" he skeptical yelled. She smiled sheepishly at him. "What the hell, Charlie?! You guys knew?! You don't think that I--I don't know--would have liked to know this?!" Dean said, wild eyed.

"Hmm?" she aggressively mused. "If I remembered correctly, we got yelled at last time for butting into your life," she angrily forced out forcing Dean to winch. "Oh!" she perked up in mock enthusiasm, "there's also the little tidbit about you being bi-sexual, and not telling anyone!" she yelled.

"I-I..."

"Sorry," she said, and he could see her trying to calm herself down. "I didn't mean to shout and making it seem like I'm accusing you of anything." She huffed then continued with, "We didn't say anything because we wanted you to find out yourself, mostly because we didn't want to out you. Me of all people should know how it sucked being outed."

He walked over and pulled her into a hug. He remembered her telling him how she was outed at school when she was fourteen. One girl caught her staring at her friend in their locker room and told the whole school. For a good part of a year, she was picked on in and out of school. He had to listen to the horrendous thing people called her, and how severely she was beaten--to the point where her parent had to move to a different state to escape it all. He didn't know why he didn't tell her then, when she gave him an opening. He knew she would have never judged him, he just couldn't bring himself to tell her then.

"Charlie, you would have nev--"

"I know," she sniffled, cutting straight through his heart, "but I wanted you to be the one to tell us because it's something that you should want to do, and not because you were forced to. And I kinda fucked that up now." She sniffled again and burrowed deeper into him.

"I still haven't said it," he joked, giving her a squeeze. 

"Dean," she whined into his chest.

"I'm serious," he defended. "You haven't outed me, considering that there is no-one here for you to out me out to. So, are you going to let me come out to you or not?" She groaned and separated from him to look at his face. He grinned at her sullen expression. "Charlie. I'm gay-bi-sexual-or whatever," he said. "Do you feel better now?"

She looked at him skeptically. "Do you?"

"I feel fine," he said with a shrug of his shoulder. "I mean, I never had a problem being bi, because it was never something I thought about or was bothered with."

"What do you mean?" she asked, confused.

"I knew that I liked guys, but no-one has ever caught my eye, and it didn't matter," he said then chuckled at her even more confused face. "I wanted a family, Charlie. I wanted kids of my own. Something I couldn't have with a guy, and it was okay," he assured here, "because I was lucky enough to get to choose. And I chose women, and it was all good." It still didn't feel like a big thing to him. He figured he could still say that now because he did get a kid of his own. He could still see some thread of confusion still on her face. "I basically figured out that I liked both and decided that I am only concerned with women," he explained, "and I pushed what little attraction had towards guys way down deep inside."

"Oh," she said then added, "lucky bastard," making him laugh. He felt relieved that she was coming back to herself. "When are you going to tell the others?"

"Do I have to?" he whined.

"No, you don't," she responded. "You can tell whoever you want, whenever you want."

"It's doesn't really matter."

"Yes, it does," she fiercely defended. "It's what makes you…you, Dean. So, it does matter. Don't ever think it doesn't or that you don't matter.' She looked intensely into his eyes. He nodded his head. He wanted to say something witty about how this seemed like opening for an 'It Gets Better' speech, but she look far too fiercely determined to get him to accept this that he held his tongue.

"Okay. It's matters." he agreed. "I'll tell them if it ever comes up or if I suddenly feel like telling them."

"Okay," she said with a nod of her head. She looked pleased enough with that response that he relaxed a little.

"How did you find out though?"

"What kind of best friend would I be if I didn't know this?" asked Charlie, smiling lovingly at him. "Then there is the extremely rare occasion when you would stare at some guy." She face screwed up in thought. "Which makes sense now since I now know that you had little interest in men."

"What?" 

"There are some rare instances where you would stare at a guy but then get distracted by some girl, and that was it. Now, it makes sense," she said with a shrug.

"That has never happened," he vehemently stated.

"You wouldn't have noticed it," she countered. "Besides, it hasn't happened since Henry was born--a lot hasn't happened since Henry was born."

"Has anyone else noticed this?" he panicked.

"I don't think so. No-one has said anything," she said. "Now calm down. I thought you said it wasn't a big deal."

"I know, but now you made me kinda want to tell everyone myself," he said, rubbing the back of his head. She fondly shook her head at him.

She got pulled out of his embrace and walked back to her desk. She tiredly collapsed her chair and looked mournfully at Him. "Cas," she said and everything collapsed on him. He forgot what had caused all of this in the first place.

"Cas," he copied her.

"I'm sorry," she said, surprising him.

"What are you sorry for?" Dean asked. "You have nothing to be sorry for." She wasn't the one that caused any of this. He was the one who let this happen in the first place.

"I'm sorry that you can't have the first guy that caught your attention in a while," she glumly told him. "I'm sorry that you fell in love with a guy you can't have."

"Charlie," he tiredly said. "There is nothing to be sorry for. I'm the one who let this happen. I said I wouldn't get close to anyone and was an idiot and let him in."

"Dean--"

"I was," he said, cutting her off. "I vowed that I wouldn't let what happened before happen again and looked what happened. I fucking fall for a guy that doesn't even want me!" He aggressively ran his hand through his hair. It was just his luck to find someone that didn't want him. Luck didn't have anything to do with it. He was cursed to find people that didn't want him. He knowingly let it happen three times before, and now he did it without even realizing it.

"Dean," she sighed.

"It's a good thing he doesn't love me back," he said. "I would just fuck this up, too."

"Dean!" she yelled, rocketing out of her chair. "You didn't fuck anything up! They left because they couldn't handle being in a relationship!" Her breathing was starting to come out in huffs, and her face was red.

"I did fuck it up!"

"No, you didn't! You're not fucking poison!" she screeched, causing his heart to stop beating. "Yeah, I know about that, too! You think you fucking poison when you're not! Despite what everyone thought, you were the perfect boyfriend! You did everything right! They were the ones that fuck it up," she roared--fists clenched tightly at her sides. "Lisa was the one that said she couldn't handle a family right now, not you! Jennifer was one who could care less about the baby growing in her stomach, not you! Cassie was the one that saw Henry as a fucking burden, not you! So, don't you fucking dare tell me that you were the one that fucked things up! Don't you dare tell me that you were the one that fucked things up when you begged each one of them to give you a second chance. When you found out everything they wanted and tried to get another chance to make them happy."

"Charlie--"

"No!" she shouted, extending out her hand. "We did our best to leave you alone, but enough is enough, Dean." She turned pleading eyes on him. "Can't see how much it kills us knowing that you think so little of yourself. That you're forced to watch us be happy with someone while you're all alone?" She wiped the tears running down her face. "Can't you see how much it kills us that no matter what we say, you still think that you would never find someone, and if you do, you'll ruin everything?" He walked over to her and pulled her close and she started to bawl her eyes out. "Y-you're not po-poison, Dean. Y-you n-never were, and-and never will be," she sobbed.

He wanted to believe her, but he couldn't help but think that if he had done something different they would have never left him. It was breaking his heart that he was doing this to them, but what could he do? Everything he touched, he was forced to watch fall apart right in front of him, and he couldn't do anything to stop it. Even when he tried to fix it, he just aided in its rapid decline.

Why did he have to fall in love now? Everything was going so well. He had finally got his family to be happy with his decision to focus only on Henry, and now he has his best friend's tears soaking through his shirt. He, himself, had come to terms with being happy with just Henry, and now he was coming to realize that the pure happiness he felt lately was tied to someone else--someone he could never have.

"I know that you don't to hear this," Dean told her, "but what else am I supposed to think? The four people that I lose my heart to don't want me in return, Charlie." He gently rubbed his hand up and down her back. "The four people that I let in can't let me in." He smiled, even though his inside were gnawing at each other, when she stopped crying. She mumbled something into his chest.  "What was that?" he questioned.

"Don't group Cas with the three of them," she mumbled--louder this time. "Cas may not love you back, but he has never once did anything to hurt you or Henry. From what I have heard and seen, he has gone out of his way to help you and Henry." she rubbed her face his shirt. "He cooks for you, looks after your son for you, and he puts up with the rest of us for fuck's sake. Cas is nothing like any of them."

"Yeah," he chuckled.

"What are you going to do?" she asked. He didn't answer her because what could he do?

 He sighed after a while. "I'm going to do what I did before," he told her. "I'm going to pull myself together and forget about this. I'm going to forget that I love Cas, and I am going focus on Henry. I'm going to focus on his happiness. I'm going to have to forget feeling this way about Cas and be his friend for both our sakes."

"I wish you didn't have to," she sniffled, "I really like Cas. I definitely wouldn't mind having him for a brother-in-law."

"Charlie," he groaned--more at himself than at her. His heart did a little skip when she said that. They were going to have to stop all this talk if they ever wanted him to have a normal friendship with Cas.

"This is the last time I'm ever going to get to say these kinds of things about Cas," she countered.  "You do deserve love, Dean, and I'm not going to stop reminding you that until you get it in that thick skull of yours." He sighed and pulled her closer. They could try as much as they liked but he just couldn't believe that anyone would love him. That there was anyone out there that would want to tie their life to a mechanic and his son--or more specifically a defected mechanic. 

~~~★~~~

Dean sighed for what may be the fifth time since he sat down on the sofa. Why was he on the sofa, flipping through channel, trying to find something to watch? It was because he couldn't stand being in the same room with Cas for too long. The longer he spent with Cas, the deeper he pushed the knife in his chest. He had to leave when Cas had Henry on a stool, showing him how to fold dumplings properly. He couldn't handle how patient he was with Henry. At first, Cas showed him how to fill and fold them, but Henry couldn't get the hang of it, so he got behind him, took his hand and folded them for him. It tore at him how bright Henry face shone when Cas helped them. He really couldn't handle it when Henry did it by himself then launched himself off the stool towards Cas, hugging the dear life out of him. He couldn't handle it when Cas threw back his head and joyously laugh, and told Henry he was welcome, and the whole point of this was to get him to be able to do this for himself.' It destroyed him inside seeing all of this because this was what he imagined his life being--having someone that could teach his son something they learned, thus passing it down to him. Even now it was killing him to hear his son cheer when he got another one right--no matter how long it took him. That was another thing that got to him. When Cas got him to do one correctly, Cas lowered the stove on the soup he was making, so he could give Henry all the time he needed to finish the rest. He even sat on a stool, smiling at Henry determined expression, praising him whenever he did something right.

 _He had to get out of there_.

He sighed again. Getting over Cas was going to be much harder that he thought, considering Cas was constantly around. Maybe he was going to have to live with this pain, until Cas found somewhere else. Thinking about Cas finding somewhere else added another inch the knife--having Cas move out and possibly starting a life separate from them. He sighed once more. He needed to stop thinking about this.

"Dean Winchester, so help me God," he heard a voice say from the doorway leading to the living room. He rapidly whipped his head into that direction. "If I hear you sigh one more time, I'm going to-I don't know what I'm going to do, but it won't be pretty," said a frustrated Cas. He had one a coral-blue striped polo shirt with black jeans. He was barefoot--a quirk Dean recently discovered. Cas really hated wearing anything on his feet when inside and even sometimes outside. He stated that man was never intended to wear anything on their feet. That added yet another inch--remembering how offended he got, and how angry he looked at his sneakers. Dean wanted more than anything to kiss that gloriously beautiful, frustrated face of his right there. From Tuesday night to today, Cas had opened more to him. Cas was able to joke with him and talk about random things. He found himself genuinely laughing with him, and he would get so eager to talk with him. He should have put up more of a fight, but something about Cas just pulled him, and let himself be pulled.

"Huh?" he said when Cas looked imploringly at him, waiting for his response. He exasperatedly rolled his eyes at him. Dean smiled at him, because it about a week he picked up on his family's favorite past time--being eternally frustrated with him.

"Dean, why did you even come in here if you going to flip through the channels, sighing?" he questioned with his adorable angry expression. Dean inwardly groaned.  He was supposed to be forgetting Cas, not saying how adorable he was. He inwardly groaned when he realized he called someone other than his son adorable, and not in a teasing or mocking way.

"I was hoping that there would be something on?" he cautiously answered, causing Cas to groan at him.

"Why didn't you just go to the bar with everyone else?" he asked.

Dean sat up ramrod straight when he heard that. "How do you know about that?"

He sighed, then answered with, "Charlie invited me, but I don't drink, remember?" He looked intently at Dean. That was an interesting piece of information. He had offered Cas a beer yesterday--he wasn't trying to get him drunk--and Cas told him he didn't drink. Apparently, he and Charlie were the last to know this. And apparently, everyone, except the two of them, had offered him a beer when he moved in.

"How did she tell you this?" he asked--a little two eager and loud.

Cas let out one long sigh, so put out with Dean's antics. "Dean, I'm pretty sure everyone has my number by now," he said with an impatient look. "Even Bobby, and he hates technology as much as you do." Dean looked sheepishly after that. "Go hang out with your friends, or I will make you," he sternly stated. He raised an eyebrow at him. "I will throw you out this house," he warned with slightly widened eyes, "and I won't let back in until you're completely wasted. Now go." He was a little taken back by that. It sounded a lot like his mother telling him what to do, and not even having to raise her voice. Hell, it sounded like somebody's wife telling him to take out the trash and accepting no for an answer. Okay, he really could use some time outside this house, before he did something stupid like kiss Cas or worst--respond with a 'yes, dear.'

"Okay," he said, getting up, "and--" Cas held up his hand, halting his progress.

"I know," he said, "and I know what to do. No sugar before bed. Bedtime is at 8:30 and don't let him convince me otherwise." He moved out of the doorway and pointed to the stairs. "Now, go."

He was going to respond when Henry shouted from the kitchen, "I did them all, Cas!" Cas gave him one last stern look and made his way back to the kitchen, leaving Dean with his mouth.

 He rushed to the door to see Cas retreating form. "I don't remember you being this bossy," he yelled after him.

"But I remembered that you were going somewhere," he answered back. Dean laughed and made his way to the stairs. It wasn’t until he was almost to the top that he realized that he was wearing a shit-eating grin on his face. He groaned to himself. ' _Get it together, Winchester. Friend. You're trying to be his friend, not fall more in love with him_.' He sighed then winched. ' _Hopefully, Cas didn't hear that_.'

"Dean!"

"I'm going!" he grinned as he ran to his room.

~~~★~~~

Dean glanced at his watch while in the parking lot of Ellen's bar. It was ten minutes shy of seven. The perfect time for going to _The Roadhouse_ when there weren't that many people there. He fixed the collar of his light charcoal gray dress shirt, mind wandering to how tense Cas was when he came down stairs, and when he and Henry said goodbye to him. He shook his head. He was probably seeing thing that weren't there.

He got out his car and made it for the bad door. When he walked in, it was just as he expected. There were two guys in suits chatting at the bar. There were a group of girls--dressed a little too flashy-- at corner table, way in the corner, drowning shot. His mind instantly came up with bachelorette party. On the other side of the bar, there was a group of people with bottles of beer in their hands--and some  with theirs inches from their mouths--with their mouths hanging opened, with varying degrees of disbelief on their face. Dean huffed out a breath while rolling his eyes.

He made a move to turn around and walk out the bar when Charlie shouted, "Dean!"

He shook his head and walked to their table. He grabbed a chair form the table next to them, sat down and surveyed the group before him. Charlie was wearing a white t-shirt with a red tree on it, and her hair wasn't tied up. Jess had her hair in a ponytail and was wearing the black AC/DC t-shirt he got her. Sam was wearing a plain black t-shirt, and Dean was grateful he didn't have his hair in a ponytail. He had really hoped that marriage would have tempered their love fest--matching clothes, really? Benny had periwinkle blue buttoned up shirt on with its sleeves rolled up, and he freshly shaved. He only knew that color because Charlie wanted to paint Cas's room that color, but he wasn't having it.

"What are you doing here?" Jess asked. "Benny said you weren't coming tonight."

"Cas threw me out," he answered.

" _WHAT?!_ " they all howled.

"Yeah," he calmly stated. "Something about how my sighing was pissing him off," he shrugged, trying not to laugh at their outraged faces. "So, he threw my out, and said he wouldn't let be back in until I was, and I quote, 'completely wasted,'" he completed with air quotes. Okay, Cas didn't really throw him out, but this was totally worth their gobsmacked expressions.

"You little shit," Charlie exclaimed, smacking him on the arm. He snickered, while rubbing her arm, at their irritated expressions.

"Cas got you to leave home?" Sam skeptically questioned.

"Yep, baby brother," he cheerily said, grinning at him. It felt good hanging out with them. He did hang out with them, but this was without the grown ups. He giggled at that then noticed their bemused faces.

"I'm starting to like this guy more by the day," Benny commented with a slight disbelievingly tone like he didn't expect that he would like Cas. A momentary flash of anger swept through him at his friend. He quickly reined it in. He was supposed to be getting over Cas, not getting at his best friend because of him. It also helped that Charlie put her hand on his knee, helping to calm him down. He saw Sam go confused for a second but quickly masked it.

"It doesn't matter why you're here," Jess cut in. "We're just glad you're here." He smiled at her, silently thanking her for the distraction. He wondered if she knew about his attraction to Cas. He gave Charlie's hand a squeeze, thanking her, too.

"Where's the rest of them?" he inquired.

Charlie moved her hand off his knee and answered. "Gilda went over to help Andrea pick out paint colors for the nursery, and Jo and Ash are in the back."

"Probably making out," Jess butted in saying, causing everyone to laugh. Jo and Ash had a habit of being caught making out in the back--when they should be working-when they first started going out. Even though they don't work here anymore, they do help out when they can. "Ellen when back there not too long ago to, no doubt, break them up."

"What the hell?" they heard and looked to see Ash, Ellen, and Jo standing by the door leading to the back. "When did you get here?" Ash asked, confused. Ellen hit him on the back of his head.

"You would have known that if you were doing your job," She reprimanded him and walked to the bar.

"Dammit, Ellen," he said, rubbing the back of his head. "Is that anyway to treat your son-in-law?" Ellen didn't respond but gave him a death glare then promptly started wiping the bar. Everyone snickered at his opened mouth expression, and the small smile Ellen had on her face.

"Seriously, Dean," Jo said, "What are you doing here?"

"I can leave, you know?" he responded. She glared at him, and he smiled at her.

She groaned and walked to the bar. "The usual?" she asked while filling a glass with beer. She brought the glass over to the table, and he was about to thank her when he got a text.

"Thanks, Jo," he said, reaching into his pocket. He pulled out his phone and frowned when he saw he had a text from Cas. He unlocked his phone to read the text.

_Cas: You son hates me._

Dean's eyebrows met his hairline when he read that. His heartbeat went off the chart.

"Dean, what's wrong?" came Sam's panicked voiced. He ignored him, and started as texting Cas to find out what happened. He was almost finished when he got another message--a picture. He touched it to enlarge it. His eyes widened when he saw the picture. 

Henry was glaring at a piece of mushroom. He lips were pressed tightly together, and his fingers were wrapped tightly around the spoon in his hand. He was looking at the mushroom like it offended his ever existence. Dean couldn't help it. He burst out laughing, startling everyone else. He was heaving before he knew it, with tear clouding his vision. He had to hold onto the table so that he wouldn't fall over. When he finally calmed down a little to look back at his phone, he had two more text.

_Cas: I'm not even kidding._

Attached to that message was another picture. This time Henry was staring up at the phone--glaring at it with spoon still tightly held in his hand. Dean lost it again, only this time he rest his head on the table banging his fist on it. Henry could never fully pull of being angry, and Dean suspected that Cas was enjoying teasing him right now.  He looked up and whipped his face that had tears running down it. Everyone was staring at him as if he finally lost it.

"What the hell, Dean?" Sam exclaimed. Dean, still chuckling, held out his phone, not trusting himself speak. Sam cautiously took the phone from him, and Benny and Jess moved closer to him to see. Dean finally calmed down but was still breathing heavily. Sam confused face morphed into amusement in seconds, and he burst out laughing followed by Jess. Jess took the phone from his hand, and Charlie leaned over to see and then burst out laughing, joining the others. The phone buzzed in her hand twice, and they all huddled together to look at the screen. They started laughing, hunched over holding their stomach. He took his phone back and looked the new message.

_Cas: Now, I'm been punished._

Attached to that was a picture of Cas pouting at the screen. His chin was the palm of his hand, and he was holding a spoon with a piece of mushroom on it with the other hand. Dean bit his lip to stop from laughing as he scrolled down to see the next message.

_Cas: Mushrooms gone, and someone is very happy with himself._

This picture had Henry propped up over his bowl--a now empty bowl. He had his hand on either side of the table holding himself up, grinning at the screen. His eyes were practically nonexistent. Dean started laughing, because he knew that Henry must have been really smug when he got Cas to eat his mushrooms. He also knew how much Henry liked to get his way--a true Winchester.

"Why the hell are you morons scaring my customers?" Ellen said, walking up to their table.

"It's all your grandson's fault," Jess answered. Dean handed her his phone when Ellen looked at Jess, confused.  Jo walked up behind her and peered over her shoulder. Pretty soon, they fell victim to the same impulse that came over the rest of them.

"I gotta show Ash this," Jo announced, taking the phone from her mother.

"Cas is really good with him," Ellen commented, fondness creeping into her voice. Henry was right. There was no way that Cas wouldn't have won them over.

"Well, he has been around kids for a number of years," Jess concluded. They all chuckled when the heard a roaring laugh coming from the bar. Jess then got a confused look on her face as she stared in front of her. He turned to see Jo walking to them, looking fondly at his phone.

"Where did you find this guy?" she fondly asked as she handed back his phone. He took his phone, and saw Cas sent another message.

_Cas: Besides the mushroom incident, everything else is fine. I would say not to worry, but you're a parent, and you basically have two settings--love and worry. So, I'm going to try and tell you to relax a little. You work five days a week, and take care of a kid. You're entitled to a break. I'll see you at home._

There went the final inch. The knife had made it through his chest and pierced straight through his heart. Cas sent all of this to assure him that everything was fine. He could have not sent anything, but he wanted to make sure Dean could relax a little. He didn't tell him to not worry because he knew that wasn't something Dean could do. Dean texted him back, ignoring the little tremors in his fingers.

_Dean: thanks cas_

He didn't know what else. What could he say to the guy that managed to calm him down, and stab him at the same time? He put his phone back in his pocket. He looked at the imploringly faces of his family, and said, "So, shots?" He smiled his best smile. Cas told him to relax, and he was going to do that. Plus, the alcohol would help him forget about the way he felt about Cas--something he needed to do as soon as possible.

He was able to fool everyone, except Charlie who smiled a small downcast smile at him. He would get through this. He just needed more time.

~~~★~~~

"There're going to scare all my customers away?" Ellen said from her spot next to Charlie.

"Are you really complaining?" Charlie asked, smiling at her. She looked back at the bar and smiled wider. Dean had arm thrown over Sam's shoulders and the other around Benny's  as the belted out the lyrics to 'Wanted Dead or Alive.' They were far beyond drunk, swaying from side to side as they tried to get the lyrics out. She couldn't help but laugh to herself when she remembered how they all snapped at Ash for interrupting them earlier, claiming that the customers didn't mind them signing. To really piss Ash off, the guys asked if anyone wanted to make a request which had the whole bar howling with laughter.

"When was the last time you saw Dean this relaxed?" Jess asked then hiccupped. "Or this loud?" she giggled.

"Whatever Cas must have said really got through to him," Ellen said, fiddling with the label of her beer bottle.

"He has been happier since Cas got here," Jess mused. Charlie sighed. Happiness wasn't the only thing that Dean got since Cas got here. "We all knew that he needed someone else to help him with Henry, and now it was confirmed. If only it was a girl instead-I mean--" she stood up straight, "--Cas is great and all, but you know?"

Charlie's hands tightened around her bottle. Yeah, it would have been much easier if Cas was a girl, but that really wasn't the problem. The problem was Dean. He had completely given up on himself. He didn't think that he was worth loving. Her hands got tighter around her bottle. If she ever saw the three of them ever again, she might strangle them where they stand for what they did to him. None of this would have happened if they weren't completely cowards and listened to what other people said about him than actually getting to know the real him. Lisa gave up on him at the first sign of trouble, believing what people said about him being a troublemaker. Jennifer just wanted him because she wanted a hold of the money he got from Samuel. Cassie left because she didn't want to have to raise a child. If they really wanted to help Dean, then they needed to help him stop thinking that he was poison... or pray that they got lucky and someone did come along and show him he was worth loving. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter has two unexpected visits.


	6. Parameter: Determination

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late post, but is it very difficult to find time to write when in college. :(
> 
> This chapter is about two unexpected visits.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for the support and for reading this! Hope you enjoy the chapter!

"Dean, you are not dying," Cas exhaustedly said while pinching the bridge of his nose.

"I am," Dean retorted into the surface of the island. Cas really wondered about his taste in men. "You're going to have to call my parents." Dean lifted his forehead off the island and looked across the island at him. His entire face was contorted in pain with blood-shot eyes and bags under them. Cas had to find all the willpower in him to not walk over to him and kiss it all better--even if he was being melodramatic. "I'm not going to make it," he loudly whispered with terror filled eyes. Cas didn't need his willpower to refrain from rolling his eyes.

"Firstly, you have a hangover not cancer," he said seriously, "and secondly, it's a little after seven o'clock on a Sunday. Your parents probably just woke up and are likely getting ready for Church." Dean made a long, drawn out groaned and rested his head back on the island. "If it will make you feel any better, I'll text her and tell her to pray for you?" Dean made a sound that was somewhere between a groan and a whine. Cas couldn't help but smile at his distress. Even though a part of him was annoyed at his childish antics, he couldn't help but find it a little endearing. He couldn't help but think that ever since Dean came downstairs with his hair sticking out on all ends, shyly asking if Cas wouldn't mind making him coffee--since he didn't think he could manage himself.

Cas knew that he should be trying to not get attached to Dean in any way that didn't involve friendship, but he couldn't. He didn't know why he couldn't. That wasn't true. He knew why he couldn't help it, but admitting why just might kill him when he leave. So, he was going to have to push the 'why' down and keep it down until it could never come up again. It would easier if he could stop the pull to do things for Dean like making things for him. He had on more than one occasion found himself wondering what he could cook that would please Dean. He had even started to do little household chores--the laundry, cleaning up after Henry, and cleaning--because he knew that Dean would be exhausted after work, and he would rather have him spend time with Henry than worry about the house. Every time he would do them, he couldn't help but compare himself to a housewife. Gabriel, Anna, and Baltazar had all teased him about how he would make the perfect housewife for some guy one day. As much as he would reprimanded them and tell them he was a man, he couldn't help but smile inside. He may be acting like a housewife now, but he was the furthest thing from one. Namely, this wasn't his house, and Dean and Henry weren't his.

"Is Dad going to be all right?" Henry asked, inclining his head upward to look at Cas from his position on Cas's lap. There was the other thing that strayed him away from trying to just be Dean's friend: Henry. He had every intention coming into this to solely focus on Henry, but that evolved into pleasing Dean. He had made a promise to himself that he would make Dean happy as a way to help him forget about his past, but that turned into making Dean happy so he could be happy. As much as Cas loved Henry, he couldn't help but want to make him happy so that Dean could be happy and finally himself. All the while, he kept convincing himself that he was doing what he said he would, and that was to make them happy, and if he happened to find some self-fulfillment in that then that was a happy accident.

Cas sighed--more from his own shame at failing to distance himself enough than Dean's overplayed response to a hangover. "Your dad is going to be fine," Cas answered with a kiss to Henry's forehead. Dean huffed out a weak laugh while Cas rolled his eyes at him. He got off the stool with one arm firmly wrapped around Henry's waist and walked over to the fridge. ' _I hope you don't act like this when you get your first hangover_ ,' Cas thought as he opened the door. He winched inside when he wondered if he would be around to see that. He felt his heart constrict a little at the thought of Henry letting him go because there was no doubt in his mind that he would ever let him go. He bent down, mindful of Henry, opened the tray containing vegetables and took out a tomato. He closed everything and reached to the top of the fridge to get a banana from the fruit basket. When he turned back around, Dean still had his head on the island. Henry had his head in the direction of the fruits in Cas's hand. It surprised him that he didn't ask him about them yet.

"What is that for?" he asked. ' _Spoke too soon_ ,' Cas thought. Cas didn't answer him but walked back to his seat and reclaimed his previous position.

"Here," Cas commanded and placed the two items in front of Dean. Dean raised his head, looked perplexedly at the two items then at Cas. "For blood flow and to clear your head," he explained, pointing to the tomato, "and for the uneasiness your feeling," pointing to the banana.

"Huh?" Dean responded. He was still as confused as ever and far too adorable in Cas's opinion. Cas really wanted to kiss his confusion away.

"Tomatoes are a good source of lycopene which helps with blood flow," Cas repeated. "Headaches are generally caused by poor blood flow. Bananas are rich in potassium which helps with uneasiness and discomfort." He pushed his head out a little and widened his eyes, silently asking if Dean understood now. "You can try those or wait a couple of minutes for your coffee to finish brewing." Dean moved his head from one to the other as if he was silently debating which one of his ailment was more pressing.

"What are those?" Henry asked.

"They're these really, really tiny things in foods that keeps us healthy," Cas answered, knowing what he was referring to without him having to elaborate. He smiled when he saw Dean pick up the tomato and took a bite--having chosen his headache as the most pressing issue right now. He belatedly thanked Heaven that Dean didn't pick the banana--for obvious reasons.

"Oh," he quietly said. He didn't sound too convinced to Cas.

"It's okay if you don't fully understand it," Cas assured him, kissing the back of his head. "Just know that fruits and Vegetables are meant to help you healthy and strong." He glared at the smirk Dean was wearing. He wasn't going to miss an opportunity to get Henry to eat healthy. To spite him and to save himself, Cas took his banana. ' _He can get his own_ ,' Cas thought as he peeled it, not looking at Dean. He took a bite--a little bigger than necessary--and Dean made a choked sound. He looked up and raised an eyebrow at him.

"Sorry," Dean said then coughed to clear his throat, "went down the wrong hole." Dean instantly tensed up, causing Cas furrowed his eyebrows. He didn't get why Dean tensed up. It was a perfectly reasonable explanation. Just as quickly as he tensed up, Dean returned to his previous state and took another bite of the tomato.

"Are you sure you don't want me to make you something?" Cas asked Henry, choosing to ignore Dean's shifting emotions. Even though he hadn't experienced a hangover in a while, he knew that this wasn't typical behavior. He guessed this could be a Dean thing--not that he would know. He couldn't ignore how that stung though--not knowing Dean.

"No," Henry responded, pressing his back further into his chest. "I want cereal." Cas had offered to make him breakfast but he refused. He even asked what he wanted instead but hadn't decided, until now, what he wanted

"Sure," Cas said and made a move to put him on the stool next to him.

Henry grabbed his arm in a crushing grip. "No," he said in a quietly pleading voice. Cas heart skipped a beat, and he stopped.

"Okay," Cas said, looping his arm around his stomach again and getting out the chair. He put his hand under Henry's left armpit so he could turn him around. Henry willingly allowed himself to be maneuvered until he was sitting on one of Cas's arm. Cas kissed his cheek. "What cereal do you want?" he asked, smiling at the pleased face Henry was wearing. He didn't know how everything that Henry did could be so cute but didn't care if it made him this elated.

" _Lucky Charms!_ " he excitedly proclaimed. Henry's love for Lucky Charms was something that Cas recently discovered only because he had made them breakfast ever since he got here. Henry had wanted cereal and demanded _Lucky Charms_ , which Cas hadn't found anywhere in the house. Little did he know was that Dean had hidden it because Henry would use the stool to get unto the countertop to get it. Once he had go the cereal, he would pick out all the marshmallows and leave only the cereal. Once he had opened a full box and accidently spilled all of it on the countertop and floor.

"Okay," Cas replied then looked at Dean. "We'll be outside." He smirked at Dean then kissed the forehead of a pouting Henry. He walked out the kitchen and braced his back against the garage door. "One day, you'll be able to buy as many boxes as you like," Cas assured him.

"Very funny, Cas," shouted Dean. Henry giggled, and Cas couldn't help but feel warm all over. While Henry may be cute when he pouts, Cas would like it if he was smiling instead. They both heard the sound of a bowl being placed on the marble countertop then the sound of a box being opened. Cas smile at how intently Henry was listening and smiled wider when he perked up when he heard the cereal hit the bowl. Cas was beginning to think he truly didn't understand his obsession with Lucky Charms. "Okay," Dean yelled, "you can come in now."

Cas snickered at the glee that overtook Henry's face and kissed his temple. "Your breakfast awaits, your majesty," he regally said, bowing his head an inch.

"You're silly," Henry giggled with a faint blush on his cheek. Cas knew how much he loved when he called him that or 'little prince.' Frankly, Cas was just happy that Henry allowed him to call him that. Cas walked into the kitchen with him just as Dean was closing the fridge. Cas sat down on the stool and allowed Henry to choose how he wanted to sit. Henry eventually decided with one leg straight out, with the other one horizontal bent with that foot under the first leg.

"He's going to be attached to you for the whole day," Dean told him with his back to Cas as he poured a cup of coffee. Part of him was happy that Dean decided to wear a black t-shirt with his black and red checkered pajama pants, and part of him wasn't. He figured it was the best, considering how afraid he was of getting caught staring at Dean's perfectly smooth chest...or his perfectly shaped abs...or his perfectly symmetrical back. Henry's happy munching snapped him out of thoughts. "Good luck with that," he chuckled as he opened the cupboard door to get his creamer. Cas smirked when he picked up the little hint of jealousy in Dean's voice.

"He might," Cas said, trying to keep the smirk out of his voice. "But I'm sure he's going to want you to tuck him in tonight since you didn't last night." Cas smiled when Dean let out a huff.

"You can do it," Henry said with his mouth full.

"Henry," he admonished while Dean finally turned around to face them.

"Cas has to do it," Henry told him. "He promised to read me the book with the...thing with...the pointy things," he added on using his index fingers to represent horns. Dean arched an eyebrow at Cas.

" _Where the Wild Things Are_ ," Cas explained. "He's talking about the bull-like creature on the front." Cas moved his head closer to Henry's. "Your dad can still read it to you."

"Daddy can read to me tomorrow," he said and took another spoonful of _Lucky Charms_. Cas mouthed 'sorry' to Dean who shook his head. 'It's fine,' he mouthed back. Dean walked back to his seat with his coffee in hand.

"I think the tomato is starting to work," he said, surprised while he took a seat. The instant he sat down he made a pained face, and Cas almost reached out to--he wasn't really sure what he was going to do, but he didn't want to see that look on Dean's face. "Spoke too soon," he said in a tight voice. Cas wanted nothing more than to go over there and massage his temples, but that wasn't something guy friends did, and he was aiming to be his friend. He was aiming to be his friend and nothing more. He slumped his shoulders at his inability to do anything to alleviate his pain and his inability to stop these urges he has of wanting to care for Dean.

"Dad?" Henry called in a timid voice.

"I'll be fine, buddy," Dean assured him while reaching over to ruffle his hair. "Just need some coffee, and I'll be all better," he said lifting up his cup. "Finish your breakfast." Henry nodded his head and went back to eating. Guilt started to clog Cas's lungs. He should have never made Dean go out yesterday if he knew it would affect him and Henry like this. Dean cleared his throat getting his attention. 'It's not your fault,' he mouthed.

'It is,' he mouthed back, even though he was a little stunned that Dean knew what he was thinking. Cas felt his face heat up at the fact that Dean was able to figure it out--him out.

'No,' he mouthed, then shook his head, 'I was the one who made a big deal out of this.'

'Dean,' he mouthed with a defeated look.

'I mean it, Cas,' he mouthed, unrelenting.

'Okay,' he mouthed, resigned. He wanted this to stop because he shouldn't be forced to spend this much time watching Dean's lips. Lips, a frosted tulip color, that were not too thin and not too plump.

"Finished," Henry announced, setting his bowl down and, subsequently, pulling Cas from his admiration of Dean's lips.

"Good job, buddy," Dean smiled at him. Cas could tell he was putting a lot of energy to smile at him through his throbbing headache if his grinding teeth was anything to go by.

"Can me and Cas play now?" Henry asked, and Cas saw Dean eyes softened and his shoulders sagged a little.

"Cas didn't have his breakfast yet, buddy," Dean fondly reminded him, resting his chin on the palm of the hand that his elbow propped up.

"Oh," Henry dejectedly said at the same time the front door opened.

"Dean!" Dean winched when his name was called.

"Charlie's here," Cas said, leaning back to see to front door. When he looked back at Dean, he chuckled at the glare Dean was sending his way.

"Dean!" Charlie shouted again as she walked into the kitchen. She made a sudden stop with a surprised look on her face. "Oh," she said, still surprised, "you're up." She turned her head and looked at him and Henry. "Hi," she cheerily said with a wave of her hand. They both grinned at each other when the heard Dean groan.

"Hello, Charlie," he replied, still grinning. His heart warmed at how much she reminded him of Anna. They both had the same red hair and feisty attitude. It felt like he had her here with him, and not half-way across the country.

"Charlie, why--"

"Who made coffee?" Charlie seriously inquired as soon as she faced him and saw the mug in his hand. Dean stared at her incredulously with his mouth ajar. Cas muffled his laugh in Henry's hair. Charlie stared insistently at him, awaiting his response. But, Dean didn't answer his and took a sip of his coffee.

"Mmmmmmm," Dean blissfully moaned out, and Cas swallowed his tongue. Dean needed to stop doing that around him.

"Ass," Charlie snidely remarked, crossing her arms over the plain deep green polo shirt she was wearing. There was where his sister and she differ. While Charlie like t-shirts and jeans, his sister would wear dresses whenever she could. When she did wear jeans, she would wear blouses or anything overly feminine.

"Charlie," Dean and him admonished at the same time.

"Sorry, Cas," she smiled apologetically at him then Henry. She faced Dean again and stuck her tongue out at him. He rolled his eyes with an exasperated look and went back to drinking his coffee.

"I made coffee," he informed a glaring Charlie. "Help yourself."

"Cas," Dean hissed out.

"I'll make you more if we run out," he told him. Dean exasperatedly groaned with his head thrown back. Cas rolled his eyes at him and pulled Henry closer to him. He was a puddle of goo when Henry let out an audible sigh and moved himself even closer to him. If they kept this up, they would be fused together in no time. Charlie smiled indulgently at them, but there was a hint of sadness surrounding the edges of her eyes. Cas figured that Henry has never been this open with someone outside their family and was going to miss this when he moved out. He knew he was going to miss it--miss them and miss having this. Dean, however, wasn't looking at them but boring into his beige abyss of a coffee. Charlie turned her back to them and walked over to them coffee maker with a tired composure. The sudden chime of the doorbell perked them all up.

"I'll get it," Cas told them, and he got out of his seat with one arm around Henry's torso and one arm under his thighs. "Who do you think it is?" he said into Henry's ear.

"Hmm?" Henry sounded out, gripping Cas's wrist. He wished Henry would stop worrying that he would let him go, but it was endearing that he wanted him to stay close to him. "Nana?" he tentatively answered.

"Maybe," Cas mused when the doorbell sounded again. "Come on," he instructed as he sat Henry upright so Henry could loop an arm around his neck. "I hope it's Nana," Cas said, poking his tummy with his index finger. Henry removed his arm from his neck to push Cas's hand away while he giggled. He kissed his temple and made his way to the kitchen door when Henry rested his head on his collarbone. While walking to the front door, he realized that it couldn't be Mary since he knew she would now barge in as she pleased like Charlie did. He smiled to himself wondering which one of Dean's family is trying to be polite this time. He stopped mere inches from the door when he felt hot air on his neck. It was evenly timed apart. He craned his head back to see glanced at Henry. And just like he thought, Henry was sound asleep. He made a little whimper at the loss of skin contact--a whimper that skinned a tiny part of Cas's heart and put it back together again. He fixed his head correctly and almost lost his balance when Henry sighed in his sleep and rubbed his forehead against his neck. Cas tried calming his beating heart because Henry was too close to not be able to hear his he heart forcing blood through his minuscule veins. The doorbell rang again, and he flinched then quickly tried to calm a grouchy Henry, who made small grumbling sounds and pushed himself closer to Cas. Cas reached for the door handle before the doorbell rang again.

"What took--" Jess began to say and stopped short when she saw him. She must have thought that Dean would be the one to open the door and not him. Her eyes flickered from his face to Henry. She had on a lime-green summer blouse with buttons halfway down it and a faded light-blue jeans. Behind her stood a stunned Sam, who was wearing a plain light-grey t-shirt with black jeans. Cas saw both their eyes descended to look at Henry hand and then his shirt. Henry had his fingers curled around the front of the neckline of the bright red t-shirt that he was wearing. A t-shirt that had a black Chinese dragon on it that was in an S-shape with its tongue sticking out. The dragon was covered in fish-like scaled and was seated on Chinese styled clouds. He didn't blame their widening eyes. Most people assumed that he only owned dress shirts, but he did own a multitude of graphic t-shirts that depicted various mythical beings.

"Hello," he nervously said, since it appeared that they weren't about to answer anytime soon. He raised an eyebrow when they didn't respond, but continued to look at a sleeping Henry and not him. Cas smirked, and didn't say anything more. He wanted to see how long it would take them to snap out of their stunned state.

"Who's at the door?" Dean yelled from the kitchen. Cas flinched, and to his astonishment, Henry didn't wake up or made any form of protest.

"Hey, Cas," Sam said with a faint red painted on his cheeks. ' _Dammit, Dean_ ,' he thought, crossed.

"Hi, Cas," Jess followed in suit saying. "Hi, baby," she quietly said, and fondly carded her fingers through Henry's hair. Their eyebrows met their hairline when Henry protested in his sleep. "The hell?" she said, opened mouth and shock ridden.

"Shh," Cas softly said to Henry, switching from one foot to the other in a swaying motion. Without thinking, he used his free hand to card his fingers through the hair on the back of his head. He instantly solidified when Henry sighed and held on tighter to his shirt.

"The hell?" Jess and Sam exclaimed in unison. Cas self-consciously smiled at them and stopped combing his fingers through Henry's hair. He didn't stop swaying though.

"I wanna try something," Jess said, eyeing him suspiciously. Cas stopped and refrained from squirming in place. He had no idea why she was looking at him like that. For the second time today, he reminded himself that he didn't do anything wrong. And he would really like to get back to comforting Henry. She turned her suspicious gaze onto Henry, and Cas had a brief moment of indignation. He pulled himself together and painfully reminded himself that Henry wasn't his, and he shouldn't have gotten so protective of him. She dubiously raised her hand then carded it though his hair. Her eyes got comically wide and threatened to shoot out of her eye sockets when Henry whimpered and tried to move away from her hand. Sam was skeptically looking at Henry with his mouth hanging. "Hmm?" she mused, regaining control of her features. She grabbed Cas's hand and carded his fingers through his hair. "Oh my God," she breathed out when Henry embraced the touch. She dropped his hand, whipped around to grab Sam's hand and pulled him, almost making him topple over. This time she carded his hand through Henry's hair.

"Oh my God," he parroted when Henry moved his head. He pulled his hand out of his wife's and carded his fingers through his hair again. Only this time, Henry let out a high pitched whine and curled into himself. They all flinched back.

Cas pulled Henry close to him and massaged the back of his head with his fingertips. "Can we not try that again?" Cas asked, pulling him closer and letting himself be pulled by his collar.

"What the hell was that?" Dean said, rushing out the kitchen, along with Charlie. Cas turned his back so that he was facing him. "Did some trying taking him from Cas?" Cas weakly chuckled and rested his cheek on the top of Henry's head. Dean raised an eyebrow and suspiciously asked, "Is he?"

"Yeah," Sam answered for him--a little confused. Cas relaxed when Henry's breathing even out again, and his grip on his shirt went lax. He had to rein in his anger at them for getting him so worked up.

"When did he?" he asked, brows pressed tightly together.

"Somewhere between the kitchen and the front door," Cas answered.

"Oh," Dean said as the tension left his body, but then he got a confused look on his face. "Why is he sleeping though?" he asked Cas, imploringly. Cas wanted to answer him but he didn't know himself. "Did he have another nightmare last night?" Cas saw guilt flash in his eyes again, this time for thinking he wasn't even awake for this one as well.

"I don't think so," he said going through everything he could remember from last night, trying to get rid of Dean's guilt. "He would have woke one of us up if he did," Cas reminded him.

"Maybe it's from..." he hesitantly said.

"No," Cas responded, shaking his head. He knew what Dean was implying. "I made sure he took a nap every day," he informed him, and Dean looked sheepishly at him. He smiled at him to show his that he wasn't offended that Dean insinuated that he wore his son out.

"Maybe he just likes sleeping in Cas's arms?" Charlie offered from behind Dean.

"What?" Dean exclaimed, turning to face her.

"Maybe Henry likes sleeping in Cas's arms," she repeated more confident this time but also accepting like she should have thought of this before. She had the same sad look from earlier that he still couldn't fully place.

"I guess that makes sense," Jess hesitantly said from behind him. Cas really couldn't help but think something was off about this, like they were hiding something.

Dean turned around to look at her. "How does that make sense?" he incredulously asked with a slight warning tone to his voice as Cas turned to face her. ' _What am I missing?_ ' he thought.

"I don't know," she said, a little irritated. Somehow it sounded that she was answering some hidden question. "It could be. You guys can't think of a reason why he would be tired, and what Charlie said doesn't exist outside the realm of possibility." She looked intently at him, as if she was trying to get him to understand something. "He could very well like sleeping in Cas's arms," she stressed out. They looked expectantly at him. Dean looked more resigned than eager for an explanation.

"I don't know," Cas said, shifting nervously on his feet instead of the rhythmic pattern he was following a few seconds ago. "I mean, I spend a lot of time carrying him around, especially when I take him to the store." He then had a thoughtful look on his face. "I did rock him to sleep twice." When they raised their eyebrows at him he quickly continued with, "he was really tired and couldn't fall asleep so I started rocking him and humming to him." He looked at Dean and added, "the same song I was humming when he woke up Tuesday night."

"Why did he wake up?" Charlie asked

"Nightmare," Dean and Cas said together then looked at each other. Cas had to will himself not to blush and he hastily looked away from Dean and back to Charlie.

"In guess it makes sense now," Sam stated. "He got used to being in Cas's arms to the point where he can comfortably fall asleep in them." There was a speck of surprise in his voice which was enough to make him think that Henry never did this before--which couldn't be true. Kids tend to fall asleep in people's arms all the time. ' _If this was true then this confusion would make sense_ ,' he thought.

"This can't be the first time he fell asleep in someone's arm?" he found himself asking. Their weird behavior was starting to make some sense. They all started to shift nervously, looking at each other but not saying anything--well not directly to him. They could have their very own signal for all he knew. "Right?"

"No," Charlie answered, confusing Cas, "but it is the first time he did so in a while."

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"Well," she shyly started, "he hasn't fallen asleep in anyone's arms but Dean's for over two years now."

"What?" Cas said, tilting his head, eyebrows furrowed.

"Yeah," Jess answered him. "I think it was about six months after Henry was born that he stopped sleeping in anyone's arms but Dean's." She chewed on her lips as she thought about it some more, but Cas didn't care because was melting inside. He couldn't help but feel overjoyed that Henry loved him enough to actually allow him this. He was partly smug about it, too. "Yeah, it was about six months." She looked at Dean this time. "All of sudden he wouldn't stay with anyone when he was tired. Anytime he would get tired, he would start crying for Dean." She smiled endearingly at Dean. "It got easier when he could finally call for his dad instead of crying." Dean returned her smile with equal intensity, and something occurred to Cas.

"Not even your mother?" he asked.

They both looked at him, but it was Charlie who answered. "Nope," she said, shaking her head and looking at him with wide eyes, "not even Nana." Cas couldn't help feeling giddy hearing that. He knew that this must be a low blow to them that Henry adored him this much, but he couldn't help but revel in it. Maybe Henry did idolized him as much as he did?

"Oh," he quietly said while everything inside of him resonated with warmth. Charlie started to giggle behind her hand, and he looked dubiously at her.

"It okay to be happy by this," she grinned at him, and he embarrassedly smiled back at her. It looked like he didn't school his features as well as he thought.

"Yeah," Jess said, "enjoy it while it last." She ended it with a small laugh that dug the floor up from right under his feet. He was momentarily blind by his joy. This was not going to last forever. This was probably last for another week, and he would be subjected to seeing him whenever he had time. He didn't even know how long that would last either. When both those times are up, he might never again get to see him wake up or be woken up by him. He might never get to make him breakfast or cook anything for him after his time was up here. He might never get to spend his entire day with him again, showing him different things. He refrain from pulling Henry closer as to not give away how he was really feeling. ' _She’s right_ , ' he sadly thought, ' _I better enjoy this while I'm allowed to. I might never be able to forget him, but there is no saying that he will either_.'

"I think we should probably put him down," Dean said in a slightly strained voice. He seemed somewhat rigid to Cas, like he was trying to contain something. And yet again, Charlie's eyes were downcast, but this time she was looking at Dean's back. He was starting to think that Charlie was preparing for the aftermath of when he left. That was why she was depressed whenever he looked at her. She probably thought that he was going to forget about Henry as soon as he left here. He wanted to tell that would never happen, and he would be in Henry's life for as long as he allowed him to be. She must also be preparing to console Dean when he was left with a depressed child. He made a promise to himself that he would keep Henry happy for as long as he could and he intended to keep it.

"You sure?" Charlie asked, unconvinced.

"Yeah," Dean said, now facing her. "Cas didn't eat breakfast yet, and we can't expect him to hold him until he wakes up."

"I don--"

"You can't go around doing stuff with him in your hands, Cas," He said cutting Cas off with his back to him, "besides, he's out cold, and wouldn't notice if we put him down." Charlie still wasn't convinced.

"Okay," he evenly said, trying to mask his disappointment. He could skip breakfast, but this would be better. They would be moving around, and he would much rather have him peacefully sleeping in his own bed. He nodded his head even though Dean wasn't looking at him. Dean turned around when he was introspectively kicking himself. Dean held out his hand while moving forward, and he decided to meet him halfway. Cas begrudgingly handed Henry over. Dean got his hand under his armpits and gently pried him from Cas. Halfway out of Cas's hold, Henry woke up. He made an ear-piercing whimper and twisted his body toward Cas. He grabbed hold of Cas's collar and sleeve and roughly hauled him forward. Cas made a surprised cry in the back of his throat at the rough treatment and for almost missing a step. Cas wrapped an arm around Henry's lower back, placed one hand behind his head and pulled Henry toward him. Dean removed his hands as if he had been scorched while Henry buried his head in Cas's neck, making small whimpering sounds. Cas gently shushed him, ignoring how Henry's nails digging into his upper arm, and how Henry was still tugging at his collar. Cas closed his eyes, humming to him as he swayed from side to side, figuring it would be the most effective way to calm him down. He decided to start softly--more to Henry and himself--then more vocal in attempt to soothe him. After about a minute, he noticed that Henry was still gripping as tightly as ever to him, so he stopped.

"Told you," he heard Charlie say, and he opened his eyes. Dean was standing stock-still in front of him, staring at the back of Henry's head. Charlie was now standing next to him with a smug look on her face.

Henry whimpered and rubbed his nose into Cas's neck. "You're fine, Henry," Cas shushed him. "You can go back to sleep." Henry shook his head, quietly grumbling. Cas chuckled causing him to let out a high-pitched whine. "Sorry," he apologized, kissing the side of his head. He couldn't help but find his grumpy self  adorable. "Go back to sleep, Henry," he instructed. "I promise no-one is going to take you away." Henry didn't respond but gripped him tighter. Cas sighed. It looked like Henry wasn't going to be that easily convinced. "He's probably not going to go back to sleep now," he told Dean, snapping him out of his dazed state.

"Huh?" Dean said, confused, and Charlie rolled her eyes. Cas could understand his stunned reaction though. It wasn't every day that your child clung to a perfect stranger.

"It doesn't look like he's going to go back to sleep," Cas repeated for his sake while lightly scratching the back of Henry's head with his fingertips. Cas huffed out a breath when Henry loosened his grip on him. He didn't know why Henry liked it so much, but he wasn't going to complain if it calmed him. ' _I should have thought about this first_ ,' he berated himself.

"Oh," Dean quietly said, and Cas heard Sam snorted from behind him. Dean glared at his brother from over his shoulders, which shouldn't be that difficult since Sam was a modern day Goliath. "Sorry, buddy," Dean said, moving toward them. He reached out with one hand to rub the crown of Henry's head. Henry made loud sound of protest, which instantly got Dean to remove his hand and had Henry grumbling into Cas's neck again. Sam made one big startling laugh from behind him.

"Sam!" Dean cried out, looking partly surprised and doubtful. Henry buried his face deeper into Cas's neck and made a small whine. Cas was trying very hard not to smite any of them for waking up his-for waking up Henry.

"What?" Sam laughed. "You did just wake him up, Dean." He chuckled next. "He really is your son," Sam said, and Cas could hear the gigantic smile in his voice. Charlie had a slightly amused and confused smile on her face.

"What's that supposed to mean?" he said annoyed, glaring at Sam once more.

"Nothing," Sam said, "It's just that he reminds me of another whiny three-year-old when someone wakes him up." Everyone except Dean burst out laughing. Cas had to bite his slip to stop laughing to help soothe a grumpy Henry.

"Very funny, bitch," Dean sneered.

"Dean!" Cas exclaimed at the same time Sam said, "jerk." Cas turned around and raised an eyebrow at Sam. He had assumed that Sam would be more dignified than that.

"It's this thing we did since we were kids," Sam explained. "Henry has heard it before, and he knows not to use that word. Right, Henry." Yet again, Henry didn't respond but grumbled again.

"Way to go, Dean," Jess stated with her hands on her hips.

"I didn't," Dean started to say then stopped and sighed. "I'm sorry, Henry." Henry made a weak indistinguishable sound and nothing more. "Was that an 'apology accepted?'" Dean eagerly asked, and Henry shook his head. Cas bit his lip again while everyone else started laughing. Dean sagged his shoulders defeatedly, which really tugged at Cas's insides.

"How about some hot cocoa?" Cas asked Henry in attempt to cheer him up and Dean as well. Dean gave him a surprised look that quickly morphed into gratitude.

"Yeah," Henry said a little too quickly and eagerly, dislodging his head from Cas's neck. He looked pleadingly at Cas, and he couldn't help but chuckled. Dean on the other hand with looking at Henry in utter disbelief and weariness. Charlie just shook her head at all of them.

"Okay," Cas said. Henry then used his head to move Cas's head back, so he could rest his head on the crook of Cas's neck. "Okay then," he said, bewildered. "Anyone else want some?" he asked.

"I'm in," Sam said.

"Sure," Jess answered.

"I have my coffee to finish," Charlie said, pouting.

"You could drink it afterwards?" Cas offered, "or I could put it in Dean's travel mug?" He then smirked at her, having thought of something new. "Or, you could give it to Dean. Because if I remember correctly, he was in desperate need of it earlier." He smirked harder when she grinned at him. "He said something about not being able to make."

"Well, I'm in luck," she brightly said. Dean was now glaring at him, but a smile was threatening the break out. ' _That's better_ ,' he thought.

"It would appear so," he mused, trying not to smile at a snickering Charlie. He didn't need fo miss his sister that much. He had someone to fill the gap. His face got slightly downcast when remembered that now of this was permanent. Both Charlie and Dean had confused looks on their face signaling that he must not have masked his fallen spirit as well as he had hoped. He needed to work on that if he didn't want to give away how he really felt about Dean--a feeling he didn't want to face himself.

"What's wrong?" Charlie asked with a raised eyebrow while Dean flinched next to her. Cas didn't get why Dean still thought that his family was overstepping. He liked that they cared about each other so much. It made him feel delighted that they were extending that toward him. He did, however, not want to admit that part of him wanted Dean's entire family to approve of him like he was some girl that he brought home to introduce to his family.

"Nothing," he answered, trying to sound as nonchalant as he possible could. Charlie narrowed her eyes, and gave him an unconvinced look.

"Cas?" Henry softly said into his neck, and Cas sighed. He then glared at the smug looks Charlie and Dean were wearing.

"Charlie just reminds me of my sister," he told him, dancing around the truth a little. She did remind him of his sister, but that wasn't why he was dejected. Henry didn't need to know why. He then glared at their increasingly smug look. They shouldn't look so smug; he wasn't the only one Henry had wrapped around his little fingers.

"Anna?" he asked which surprised Cas. He had only mentioned his sister two times to him; he didn't expect him to remember.

"Yes," he said, "Anna."

"Your twin sister?" Dean asked. Cas didn't expect him to remember that either. He guessed that it could be harder to forget that he knew some twins.

"You have a twin sister?" Sam asked, surprised.

"Yeah," Henry answered for him which caused Sam to chuckle. He slowly unknotted, knowing that he was less irritated as before. "And four brothers. Right, Cas?"

"Right, Henry," he said, smiling. He decided to go back to the kitchen since the hot cocoa will take about ten minutes to make. He tried not to think about how Dean still smelled like the cologne he wore yesterday as he passed by him. A cologne that had an herby smell, with a fruity undertone and was strong smelling but not overwhelming--just the way he liked it. He had to preoccupy himself with Henry yesterday, so he wouldn't follow Dean around like a bee following a pleasantly smelling flower. He walked into the kitchen, and saw two mugs sitting across from each other. It looked like Charlie took his seat. He walked over to the stove and took the stainless steel pot with the brown handle he set out to make himself tea. He walked to the sink to fill it water.

"You have four brothers?" he heard Jess ask.

"Yes," he answered while turning on the faucet with the hand the pot was in. He filled it up and rest it on the countertop, so he could turn the faucet off. He took it back over to the stove and turned the stove on. He opened the cupboard closest to the stove and got out the cocoa powder, cinnamon sticks and vanilla extract he put there for easy access. "Dean, do you know where the nutmeg and cloves are?"

"Umm?" Dean said.

"Never mind," Cas said, walking over to the cupboard closest to the fridge, "I remember." He opened the cupboard and took out the two clear cylindrical, plastic containers with the nutmeg and cloves in them. He put them with the other ingredients and opened the cupboard with the dishes to get the cheese grater and a teaspoon out. "Henry," he quietly said, "I'm going to have to put you down for a second."

"No," he defiantly said, holding onto his collar again.

"I need both my hands to grate the stuff to put in the hot cocoa," Cas explained. He didn't want to let him go but Henry was excited about him making him hot cocoa.

"I don't want hot cocoa," he said, causing the others to laugh.

"Yes, you do," Cas refuted, "and I already got everything out." Henry gripped tighter.

"How about I do it?" Dean said, and Cas turned to face him. The other were sitting on the other side of the island, and Dean was standing to the side of his stool with his coffee in hand.

"No," Henry stated into his neck, and Dean rolled his eyes at him.

"I thought you didn't want any hot cocoa," Cas teased.

"Caaas," he whined, and all but Dean and him chuckled.

"I'll seat you on the countertop, so you won't be far away," Cas promised him. He gripped him once more then loosened his grip on Cas and didn't say anything. Cas took that as a 'yes' and faced the countertop again. He put Henry down, who reluctantly let go. Henry was pouting up at him when he moved back, and Cas kissed his forehead to pacify him.

"Cas!" he yelled and grabbed Cas's arm when Cas made a move in the direction of the fridge.

"I forget to take out the milk," he informed him while bring up one hand to rub the knuckles of the hand Henry was clutching onto him with. He gently removed his hand and walked to the fridge. He opened the fridge and took out the milk then noticed the _Organic Valley Half-and Half_ he also forgot to take out. He didn't know why but he couldn't help but think about how quiet Dean's family was being--only laughing and chuckling. He mentally shrugged and got everything out and closed the fridge. He walked over to Henry and set the two items beside him. He tried walking back in the fridge's direction a hand gripped him again.

"Cas!" Henry whined, and they laughed this time, with Dean joining the mix.

"I need to get out the measuring cup," he told him. He used his hand to remove Henry's, but this time he wouldn't let go. "Henry, I promise this is the last thing." Henry looked doubtfully at him, and Cas sighed and picked him up again. He walked to the cupboard over the sink and grabbed two of the measuring cup--a two-cup one, and the four-cup one-- by the handles and walked back to where the milk was. After putting those down, he walked back to get a third one. He set Henry down again and reached over to turn the stove on the now boiling water. "Umm...?" Cas said shifting nervously on his feet, looking at the ingredients in front of him.

"What did you forget now, Cas?" Jess amusingly asked from behind him.

"Ca---s!" Henry whined, making him cringed. Sam and Dean let out a roaring laugh.

"I'm sorry," he apologized to a now glaring Henry. He nervously walked away from Henry before he could get a hold of him. He opened the same cupboard door again looking for the whisk he forgot to get. He pushed away the remaining measuring cup but couldn't find the whisk. He did find a second cheese grater that he didn't know Dean had. He pushed away the various cooking spoons and bowls until he found it in the back of the cupboard. "You can't blame me for forgetting," he said turning his head to face Henry. "It was..." he started to say when the words die in his mouth. Murdered by the glare Henry sent his way. He turned back to the cupboard and took out the whisk, ignoring the snickering that was coming from behind him. He walked back toward Henry, who was turned to the side facing him and noticed that his glaring has changed a bit. He had an insistent look on his face--more like a demanding look. It would look like he wanted to be picked up, but that wasn't it. ' _Oh_ ,' he thought. ' _He wants to be put on the ground_.' Cas didn't know what it was, but he couldn't explain how he just knew what Henry wanted. He had taken care of a lot of kids and developed a knack for figuring out what they needed, but it was different with Henry. With the other children, he would have to read a lot into their body language to know what they wanted, but with Henry, he needed very little. He just needed on little glance and he would know. Sometimes, he didn't even need to look at him; he instinctively knew what he needed. He put his hands under his armpit, like he was going to pick him up again, and heard snickering again. He lifted him up and placed him on the floor.

"What?" he heard a confused Sam say.

"What?" he heard Dean say when Henry didn't protest. Instead, Henry walked up to him then changed course at the last minute, confusing Cas. He walked to the side of Cas and held onto his pants leg with a tighter grip than what he was using to hold onto his collar with. Cas snorted at him.

"Oh my God," Jess said, bewildered. Cas transferred this whisk from his left hand to his right, so he could run his fingers through Henry's hair, starting from the crown and moving downward.

"Dean," Charlie said, and Cas turned to look at her, "your son is the most adorable thing ever." Henry grumbled and pulled Cas closer to him so he could hide his face in his leg.

Cas chuckled with the rest of them and lightly scratched the back of Henry's head. "Yes, he is," Cas fondly said, and Henry pulled him even closer then rubbed his face into the side of his thigh.

"Oh my God," Jess breathe out with extremely wide eyes. Sam, on the other hand, was looking a Henry with an evaluating stare like was checking to make sure everything was right with him.

"Huh," Charlie said, looking from him to Henry with same accepting look from before. Maybe this was more expected that his earlier behavior. Dean was standing stock-still staring at the back of Henry's head again like he couldn't believe that this was his child.

"All right," Cas said, looking down at Henry, "let's get started on your cocoa."

"Okay," Henry agreed, removing his face from Cas's thigh but still gripping onto his pants' leg.

Cas slowly walked back to his pile of ingredients, so Henry could keep up with him. "Okay," Cas said, "where to start?" He reached for the ceramic container with sugar in it. A cream-colored cylindrical, ceramic container that had rose that Dean claimed was bought by his mother. He used the teaspoon to measure out half-a-cup of sugar into one of the smaller measuring cups. He then measured a third-of-a-cup of unsweetened cocoa powder into the same measuring cup, leaving the spoon in the measuring cup.

"Do you make everything from scratch?" Charlie asked just as Cas went to turn on the burner with the water filled pot above it. He put it on the lowest possible heat, to make sure that the water was nice and hot for when he needed it.

"Yeah," Cas answered, opening the container with the cinnamon sticks in them. He took one out and said, "it would be a shame to not do so if you know how to." He picked up the cheese grater and grated about one-eighth of a teaspoon of cinnamon into his little mixture. He placed the cheese grater on the countertop instead of the sink to avoid having to move more than necessary.

"It must exhausting to do so all the time though?" Jess asked.

Cas shook his head reaching for the matching ceramic container contain the salt. "Not if you're used to it," he said, adding pinch of salt. He closed the container and put it back in its original place then picked up the one-percent milk.

"Still," Jess said, sounding a little doubtful.

"Cas cooks for his brothers and sister," Henry told her. Cas smiled as he measured three-cups of milk into the larger measuring cup. It looked like Henry paid more attention to what he told him than he thought. This further confirmed the idea of Henry being a little advanced for his age. He had seen it in the way he was able to recall things he had learned from his past with extreme precision. He had seen it in the way he recalled things he had only heard once. He wondered if the others picked up on that. ' _They should have_ ,' Cas thought as he used the teaspoon to thoroughly mix everything in the measuring cup together.

"Oh," Jess said. Cas walked over to the stove with Henry in tow and emptied the measuring cup into the saucepan on the burner next to the pot. He walked back to the countertop and picked up the fat-free Half-and-Half.

"Four brother and a sister," Sam huffed out, while Cas poured 1/2 a cup into one measuring cup, and another 1/2 a cup into the other.

"Four older brothers and one older sister," Cas corrected him, putting the cork back on the container. "Older by a minute and forty-nine seconds, and she never lets you forget it," he fondly chuckled.

"I know the feeling," Sam solemnly said.

"Har-har, Sammy," Dean mocked. Cas didn't need to turn back to see his glare. He did, however, need to stop thinking about how cute he looked when he glared.

Cas picked up the whisk in one hand and ran his fingers through Henry's hair with the other. "I'm going to add everything now, Henry," he told him, "so, I'm going to need you to stand behind me. Okay?"

"Okay," he whispered, nodding his head up at Cas. His cheeks were rosy-red making his freckles stand out more. The hairs on the front of his head were all mussed up from rubbing his face against him. And his eyes were shining brightly, and Cas was thankful it wasn't from tears. He still couldn't get over seeing him crying when he had his nightmare Tuesday night. He never wanted to see him that scared ever again.

"Adorable," Charlie.

"Caaas!" he whined, looking annoyed.

"Charlie," Cas admonished, smiling at her despite his action.

"Sorry," she responded, not even sounding sorry.

"Better?" Cas asked, carding his fingers through the hair on the front of his head in attempt to fix it. Henry nodded, closing his eyes and relishing in the sensation. "Okay," Cas said bending down to kiss the top of his head. When he finished, he walked up to the stove, and Henry stood behind him, still holding onto his pants' leg. He turned off the stove and poured a third-of-a-cup of water into the saucepan by eye. He put the pot down, and started whisking the ingredients in the saucepan. When he was sure that the sugar was dissolved, and everything was mixed together, he turned on the burner on medium heat. He looked at the time on the microwave and saw that it was 7:30, and he would need to add the other ingredients in about two minutes.

"So, Cas," Jess drawled making Cas tense a little. ' _This can't be good_ ,' he thought. "How many kids do you plan on having?"

"A whole soccer team," he nonchalantly answered still stirring the mixture. He was worried for no apparent reason. Someone started choking behind him, and Charlie burst out laughing--a high-pitched sound that had your ears ringing in no time, just like his sister. He heard someone hitting someone else's back next. Charlie was still laughing, only this time louder. None of that didn't make him miss how the vice grip on his pants leg increase in intensity.

"Funny," she said.

Cas chuckled at her. "I don't plan on having that many," he said, still chuckling. "I used to tell people that all the time when I was younger, and it just stuck with me." He looked at the microwave and saw that he had a minute left. "I'll probably have two or three," he told her. He didn't want to think about the little voice that told him he was already halfway there. Or how Henry was so close to making a hole in his jeans.

"Somewhere out there your wife is breathing a sigh of relief," Jess laughed. Cas tensed up for a second but pulled himself together within milliseconds. He believed that only person that noticed anything was Henry, but he wouldn't understand why--he was hoping he didn't understand why.

"Yeah," Cas laughed, running his hair through Henry's hair. It was more to comfort himself than to be affectionate with Henry. He could tell them right now that he was gay, but he couldn't. The familiar feeling of dread that he worked so hard to dispel clawed its way up his throat, stealing those two words from his lip-stole them from him and retreated back to the pit of his stomach where it could devour them. The man that studied every form of storytelling imaginable couldn't get two simple words out.

"Yeah," she mimicked, laughing. It took him a second to realize that she was the only one that was laughing. He didn't have time to focus on that because his two minutes were up. He picked up the measuring cup with the milk and slowly poured it in while gently stirring. The last thing he wanted to do was not pay attention to what he was doing and spill anything. Even though whatever was spilled would have to go through him to get to Henry, he wasn't taking any chance. He knew with absolute conviction that it would kill him if something happened to Henry. He put that measuring cup back and picked up the one that he had the cocoa mixture in from before. He emptied that into the saucepan and gave himself another two minutes.

"How do you like Lawrence so far?" Jess asked, and he breathed a sigh of relief. He didn't want to talk about kids and a wife right now.

"I really love it here," he honestly said. "It reminds me a little of home, and I can see myself permanently living here."

"I thought you were already planning on permanently living here," Dean shouted. His heart did a little flutter, like a leaf falling off a tree that happened to collide with his skin for a brief instant. Cas mentally scolded himself for misinterpreting the 'here' part.

"My contract gets renewed on a yearly basis," he told them. "I decided to teach for a year, and if I liked it, then I would make it a permanent thing." He didn't say anything after that and stirred the hot cocoa.

"And if you don't?" Charlie hesitantly asked, while Henry pulled at his pants leg. A tug with enough force that would have pulled his pants down if they weren't a perfect fit.

"I don't know," he lied. He knew that there was a still a spot waiting for him in New York if he ever changed his mind. The tug on his jeans tug at his heart, pulling it down as well. He lowered his stationary hand to comb it through Henry's hair, but Henry resisted. He shook his head as if he was shaking water out of his hair from having a dip in his Uncle Sammy's pool. He pulled at Cas's heart again, more insistent this time. Cas was afraid that one more tug, and his heart would leave that prison of a chest it called home. He glance with skittish eyes at the microwave hoping that time was up. He breathe heavily through his nose to mask the sigh he wanted to let out when his silent plea was answered. He turned the stove off, and place the whisk gently to the side of the saucepan instead of throwing it aside like he wanted to. He angled his knee, and bent down to snake his arm around the one that held his heart. When Cas did that his little prince twisted his body so that his arm could snake around his neck. His prince rested his head on his collarbone, and breathed in. Cas brushed aside his thoughts to focus on his unfinished task, leaving Henry to seek whatever comfort he so desires.

"Well, you have a year to figure things out," Sam pointed out in a tight voice. He should have never mentioned that he gave himself a trial period. He gripped the handle of the unemptied measuring cup and dumped its content into the saucepan. He then uncorked the vanilla extract and poured what he deemed was three-quarter of a teaspoon. He reclaimed his whisk and started to stir the mixture while Henry drummed his fingers on his shoulder blade. "You might even like teaching here after all, and not need to figure anything out," he finished.

"Yes," Cas answered, putting some hope into his voice. He busied himself by getting out five plain white cup from the cupboard--four for the hot cocoa, and one for his tea. He transferred the brown liquid to the cup with a steady hand as he said, "I already had a mock teaching session, and that went well." He then transferred the now hot, not scorching, clear liquid to his cup. He drew the cupboard back, and reached in for his box of _Premium Pearl Jasmine Tea_. He placed one of the braided dirt brown sphere into his cup and put the box back where it belonged.

He lifted Henry's cup when Sam spoke from behind him. "I'll help you with the rest," he said, scraping the floor with his stool. 

"Thank you, Sam," he said, revolving around to see Sam approach him with a smile as tight as his voice once was. They walked by each other as he went to island, and Sam went to get the hot cocoa. He debated whether or not he should add honey to his tea as he put Henry's cup down carefully next to Dean's. He shook his head and made his way back, having decided to forgo his honey. He got his cup the same time Sam was getting the remaining two. ' _It must be useful to have long legs?_ ' he chuckled in his head.

"Mock teaching session?" a confused Sam asked as he took the two handles. 

"It's exactly as it sounds," he answered, walking beside Sam with shoulders a foot apart. They part ways at the island: him going to the stool next to Dean and Sam going to his seat, looking confused at the extra cup. "That's for Dean," he told him. "When I applied for the job, I had to come here for my interview," he continued while smiling when Sam shook his hand and put the cup in front of a surprised Dean. "Part of the interview entailed me teaching a class."

"Oh," Sam said. "And you liked it?" Sam hooked his finger around the handle of his cup moved it in a pendulum like way.

"Took the job, didn't I?" he joked. His shoulders relaxed with every little swirl that graced his palm.

"So, it possible that you could stay longer than a year?" The swirls stopped. And a back nearly merged with chest while a tiny fist formed in his palm.

"So far everything thing points to this being a permanent thing," Cas said. Charlie's eyes were locked on his thumb caressing the back of Henry's clenched fist.

"That's good," Jess said, not to him but to Dean. Dean wasn't looking at him but staring at the wisps of smoke that rose from his cup of brown liquid. Little wisps that reminded him of the swirls in his palm. His little prince unclenched his fist and grazed his fingers outward until he palm laid on top of his.

"Yes," he said, smiling at her even though she was oblivious to it. He didn't care though. He let the sweet flora scent of his tea and the caress of Henry's thumb invade his senses.

Dean swerved his head to look at them. "Henry-" he went on to say, but what came after died on his tongue. Henry angled his body toward Cas and gripped a fist full of his shirt. Dean's eyes widened in disbelief as if he was seeing a long forgotten friend for the first time in a while. Cas thanked heaven that Henry didn't have claws for nails, or more importantly his chest thanked heaven he didn't.

"That is adorable," Charlie declared. She shaped her mouth in a little 'O' when spotted his confused look. "He's glaring at Dean," she explained, switching her gaze back unto Henry. Cas let his chuckle bubble out of him, thinking about Henry's little glare.

"I wasn't going to take you away from Cas," Dean answered his son's glared with an annoyed look. "I was going to tell you that you have to blow on your hot cocoa if you want it to cool fast enough." Fingers clawed deeper into his chest as Henry made no form of understanding towards Dean.

"You're dad's right, Henry," Cas confirmed, sharing a smirk with Charlie. Something horrendous must happen while teaching for him to just give up the family he found here. If they were willing to have him then he was going to take Henry's example and hold on as tight as he possible can. Nothing could temper attraction quite like family.

"What's on the agenda for today?" Charlie asked.

"Laundry," he answered with a sour twist to his mouth. Regret at not doing it yesterday as he planned sprung up again. He should not really blame himself. Trying to avoid the object of your affections--he was going to go with 'affections'--and taking care of said object's son were time consuming.

"But you have guests," replied the petulant red-head child with a pout to rival Henry's.

"Dean has guests," he said lowering his head and looking up through his eyelashes. He was not the lady of the house. And that didn't sting as much now. See, progress. 

"I can do that," offered a haggard Dean Winchester. He looked as if there were something waging war within and draining his outward appearance inward.

"You look like you could use a brake," Cas cautiously pointed out. "Besides, it's mostly Henry's clothes...that I aided in the destruction of." That earned him a childish giggle. The one someone happened to hear when passing a playground that blocked out the rest, making it the only thing you hear that transported one to his or her playground days. A place where you only worry was whose turn it was. "Humph. Washable markers." One more giggle, and he couldn't hold onto his disdain.

"Tell me about it," Jess scoffed with the disdain he couldn't hold to. "Try getting pen marks out." Cas was trying not to squirm even though the death glare wasn't aimed at him. He couldn't help but bite his lip when twin glares zeroed in on a snickering Dean. Charlie had no qualms and laughed a thunderous laugh, much bigger than her lithe frame. A thunderous laugh that didn't lessened in viscosity at the twin glares. To save himself, Cas took a sip of his now lukewarm, floral scented tea. "How, Sam?" There was the squirming that Cas expected before. It looked like he needed another sip of his tea. It looked like Charlie figured his tactic out if her ascending cup and twinkling eyes were anything to go by. "Do you know how hard it is to remove pen ink?" No response. "Do you?" Jess was taking to phrase 'if looks could kill' to level far out of Cas's realm of comprehension.

"Rubbing alcohol works really well." Maybe looks couldn't only kill but immortalize. He was sure that look of rapturous gratitude was meant only for Gods. And he was no God. Many cultures would attest that what he was most ungodly.

"What?" replied the stunned blonde that was mere seconds away from being a widow.

"Rubbing alcohol works really well," replied the erect blue-eyed angel. He was going to see his little interruption through. "If that doesn't work then try shaving cream." Charlie winked at him, far too amused by all of this, with her chin in the palm of her hand. "Or hairspray but as a last resort since it can damage some fabrics." Disbelief has flooded the contours of Jess's face, but relief shone through her eyes. "Some people suggested non-flammable dry cleaning fluid as another solution, but I have never tried it."

"How do you know so much about?" she asked, not needing to go any further.

"Most, if not all, doctoral students are encouraged to teach," he replied. "Spent a lot of time grading papers. Even more getting ink stains out." He remembered huddling in whatever corner he could find, whether it be the back of a coffee shop or his apartment window looking at the swarms of students scurrying to class, while fixing sentence structures. He remembered eager faces willing to learn as much as they can about myths and lores, and the world hanging over their shoulders telling them to be practical. He remembered entirely different yet eager faces looking at things they shouldn't be looking at--or rather places they shouldn't be looking at. The look of concentration that all teachers strive for, but they had little to do with the words coming out of his mouth and more to do with the mouth itself. Advances from people that had little interest in getting to know him but being able to say that they 'got into his pants' as Gabriel would say.

Jess scoffed at him as if he had it easy. "Sam gets pen marks _everywhere_." Her look of absolute conviction had him thinking that maybe he did have it easy.

"That's not my fault," Sam vehemently defended with his own look of absolute conviction. "I'm always running around, making notes," he continued, wide eyed with all ten fingers spread out like he was holding that red ball Henry was so fond of.

"Please," she said with a roll of those _Sherwin-Williams Cityscape_ grey eyes of her. "If I didn't know any better I would say that you were having a _very_ illustrious affair with your pen." She never struck him as the type of person to flip her hair, but that was exactly what she did right there. She flipped her hair at a scandalous Sam (who had every right to be scandalized. That was quite the accusation).

"Best. Sister-in-law. Ever," Dean praised, while the red-head stared, slack-jawed at Sam in more unbridled amusement than disbelief.

"Shut up, Dean," Sam said in a clipped voice, not even putting in the effort to look at him. Jess did however and put even more into smiling adorningly at him. Dean returned the smile with equal intensity. A smile that crinkled the sides of his eyes and pushed those cheekbones, that Mary gifted him with, closer to his eyes. He killed any thoughts of wanting that look directed toward him before it gained any traction. Still smiling, Dean aimed his now mischief filled eyes at Sam.

"Bitch."

"Jerk."

"Don't even bother," Charlie killed the reprimand on his tongue. He swallowed it down and shook his head. Another sip of his tea was easier to deal with than the Winchester dynamic. He looped his arm around Henry, knowing that he wouldn't appreciate it he moved his hand to test the temperature of his drink. The heat radiating from the cup stalled his fingers. He didn't need to go any farther to know that it was still hot, not that it mattered to Henry, who was seemed perfectly content on his Cas shaped podium.

"Still hot?" Dean asked.

"Yes," he answered with fingers frozen in place. Henry decided that his crossed arm was a convenient place to rest the side of his tired head on.  Cas felt like a knitted scarf. One arm crossed over the other with his hand hovering next to an untouched cup. The other crossed under than one, pulled closer to the precious little prince he was tasked with doting on.

"All tied up there, Cas?" came an amused voice. It wasn't hard figuring out who that question came from.

The only thing he could do was chuckle. "Are you sure you're not tired, Henry?" Henry's response was to rub his temple into Cas's red covered bicep as his way of saying 'no.' Cas couldn't help but think of reminiscent of cat that was, rubbing its head on its owner's leg to seek attention and affection. Henry hardly needed to ask; it was something that he would freely give him. He decided that his hand would do more good resting on Henry's wrist than hovering next to a humid cup. "You can go to sleep if you want, Henry."

"Not tired," came his gentle response and scratching of Cas's palm. It was more like Henry was testing the rise and fall of his palm than actually scratching it.

"Okay," Cas said, rubbing circles around Henry's ankle. It still surprised him that his feet was still a soft as ever considering the amount of time he spent running around with no shoes on.

"You must be wondering why we're here?" Charlie said, hands clasped around her cup and on the edge of bouncing in place. There was so much childish glee written on her face, one would think that she was going to meet Santa for the first time or in her case, Tolkien.

"It did cross my mind." It had more than crossed his mind, but he didn't want to bluntly ask why they were here. He loathed that he had to remind himself that this was _Dean's_ house, and they were _Dean's_ family not his.

"We're here--" she started to say but lost all glee and will to continue when his back straighten in a flash. She eyed him suspiciously with joint eyebrows as he debated to best way to get to his phone, nestled in his right pocket. He made many abrupt movements that stopped in their tracks when he realized that no matter what he would have to remove one of his hands from Henry. No matter how he moved, Henry would be dislodged from his resting place on his lap and his arm. ' _Sorry, Henry_ ,' he apologized in his head as he peeled his hand away from his ankle.

"Hmm!" Henry cried out in a high voice in the back of his throat as a way of protest, in response to having the warm hand on his ankle removed and for having to remove his head from its resting place. Cas rummaged through his pocket seeking out that cold metallic feel. Once found, he drew it out hoping it didn't signal any bad news to come. He unlocked his phone with some trepidation to find two messages from Gabriel. His heart took off after that.

_Gabriel: Balty needs to get laid_   
_Gabriel: like yesterday_

" _Deus enim est causa, Gabriel,_ " he hissed under his breath. (Translation: "For God's sake, Gabriel.") He felt the cool tip of a nose touch his chin. He didn't know if the action was because of him swearing under his breath or because of his jackhammer of a heart.

"You know Latin?" Sam asked. "What am I talking about? Of course, you do," he answered himself with narrowed eyes and joint eyebrows, looking at Cas as if he was the idiotic one when in actuality he was referring to himself.

"What's that?" Henry questioned from below.

"It's a very old language." He kissed the tip of his nose with a now steady heartbeat.

"Oh." His little chatterbox was unusually silent today. If he was tired than why didn't he go to sleep? An unusual flash of anger arose from the back of his mind toward Dean for waking him up. Gone within seconds when he realized that Dean wouldn't have known he would react like this. None of them did. His hope that he might say more was subdue by the silence that followed. He might as well respond to his brother.

_Bluebird: What has Baltazar done now?_

"You were saying earlier?" he said, letting one eyebrow crawl higher than the other. His arms crossed each other again, but this time his fingers didn't need to hover. "You can trying drinking it now," he told the little prince who was stealthily trying to reacquaint his head with Cas's arm.

"Oh," she said, perking up, a small half bounce in her seat rather than the rapid onslaught that threatened to come out a few moments ago. The devilish way she was grinning at him was starting to throw him off. She should not be this excited about causing someone grief, and by someone he meant Dean. "Wellll..." she started, and two other devilish grins appeared on either side of her. His nervous eyes met Dean's defeated one. His fear filled face met Dean resigned face. ' _Thank, God_ ,' he said in his head when his hand vibrated.

_Gabriel: hes moping around my house_   
_Gabriel: some girl dumped him_   
_Gabriel: tell him to go home_

He didn't get why his family thought they can come to him with all their problems. He didn't get why they thought he could fix everything. Why was he even thinking about this? He was going to help them no matter what.

_Bluebird: Stop moping._   
_Bluebird: You both knew that this wasn't a relationship, and it wasn't going to go anywhere. So, why are you upset? If you want to date her then tell her._   
_Bluebird: Go home._   
_Bluebird: Tell Gabriel, I did as he asked._

"Why are you smirking?" an amused Jess asked, and he looked up to see equally amused and confused faces this time. There was relief present as well, but not coming from the three musketeers. The steady vibrations from his hand drew their eyes downward. Cas really didn't need to look down to know who was calling him. "Aren't you going to get that?"

"No," he plainly stated, sliding the 'Ignore' button.

"It could have been important," Dean pointed out. There was small current running through him, urging every cell in his body to reach out to Dean, but he wasn't going to give in. If he hoped to survive here and have some form friendship with Dean then he needed to limit the amount of time he spent gazing at Dean.

"Trust me," he said them paused to smirk when he got a new message. "It's not."

_Gabriel: CASTIEL JAMES NOVAK! HOW DARE YOU IGNORE ME?!_

"What's that?" A tiny finger pointed at the screen in front of him. It looked like Cas's phone appealed to him more than his hot cocoa.

"That's my name, buddy." Henry vehemently shook his head, and Cas was lucky that he moved his head back just in time. Henry was shaking his head like he had ants stuck in his hair and he was trying to get them all out. Fear gripped Cas who watching from above. Any moment now, he could imagine Henry head just evicted from the rest of his body.

"No," he said, shaking the remaining ants out. "Daddy calls me 'buddy,' you call me 'prince.'" Cas was waiting for someone to drop a pin. It seemed as if they weren't the only ones that vacated the room. The sound of moving cars, and the two Black-Billed Magpies seemed to have left with them as well.

"Adorable." Four pairs of eyes and one glare honed in on Charlie. Instead of red hair, she now had strands of copper wires line her scalp. Where his sister's hair would illuminate, Charlie's turned a different color, like Dean's. His green-eyed, brunette kryptonite became his green-eyed, golden haired kryptonite in that warm Kansas sun. ' _He's not your anything_ ,' he berated himself with a pinch to his heart.

With a kiss to the top of Henry's head, Cas moved his finger to the first word in his text. "Cas-ti-el," he sounded out while gently moving his finger. "My name. Jay-aimes is my middle name."

"I have a middle name, too," his prince said, bringing his the tip of his nose to Cas's chin again.

"I know," Cas answered, rubbing his chin on the tip of his nose. A sharp intake of breath was heard. "Johnathan. Named after your grandpa." Another intake of breath followed. "Nana told me." Next came a back that was trying to burrow in a close as it could to Cas's chest. "You should drink your hot cocoa before it gets cold." His tea must have been cold for a while now. He might as well reply back to his brother.

_Bluebird: I did as you asked. Did he leave?_

Before he could put his phone down, it vibrated.

_Gabriel: That is beside the point._

' _Ah, Punctuation_.' His brother really meant business now. Hopefully, Baltazar figured out what he wanted to do.

_Bluebird: You should be happy that I got him to do something, instead of moping around your house. I'm surprised Kali didn't kick him out._

"Cas?" the voice from below whispered.

"Yes, little prince?" A chorus of chuckles and one giggled erupted.

"The last one."

"The last wha-Oh!" He did his own little half bounce. He pointed to the last word. "No-" He didn't further than that. He had a burning abhorrence for when phones automatically scroll down when they got a new message. The little mail symbol was enough of an indicator. He didn't need to see the message, too. He already knew it was there. He would look at it when he was ready.

_Gabriel: shes been busy or shes finally got used to our family_   
_Bluebird: The former seems more plausible._   
_Gabriel: harhar Cassie_   
_Bluebird: Don't you have things to do? Other people to harass, maybe?_

"You sure it wasn't important?" He glanced upward to see a skeptical Jess. "You sure are typing alot."

"It's just my brother complaining about my other brother," he responded while reading his new message.

_Gabriel: Anael hung up on me._

Cas's thunderous laugh startled those around him. The now warm tip of his prince's nose touched the soft section under his jaw as he heaved through small broken laughs. He wondered how much Gabriel was able to get out before she actually hung up on him. It must not have been much if he used her given name.

_Bluebird: How far did you get before she hung up on you?_

He found his sister's contact next.

_Bluebird: You hung up on Gabriel?_   
_Gabriel: HI I FUCKING GOT TO HI AND SHE HUNG UP!_   
_Anna: That whiny little bitch_

He silently thanked heaven that Henry couldn't read as of yet.

"What's that?" he said with his finger once again on the screen, but this time it wasn't pointing to a name. Well, one could classify that word as a name of sorts, but Henry was never going to know what that word was. That wasn't true, Henry already knew what that word was thanks to Dean and Sam, but he wasn't going to find out that he knew that word.

_Bluebird: Anna, apologize. I have to go before you start using other words that catches Henry's attention._   
_Bluebird: Stop cursing. Henry is pointing at random words on your messages and asking what it means. I'll talk to you later when I'm childless._

He was going to ignore how that one word pinched his heart. Who knew one word could cause a shadow to shroud his skin? Who knew one word would spark the desperate need to huddle Henry closer to himself?

"Cas," voiced his impatient little prince. Tip of his nose bumping his chin while he dragged his shirt toward him. Dean was right; his majesty really did not like not knowing something.

"My sister made a typo," he lied. One look up graced him with a forest of eyebrows with varying degrees of separation--some laying on top of each other, and some who just couldn't seem to get as far away from the other as possible, like a couple who just finished arguing.

"Why is he sad?"

"What?" he said, colliding his nose with the top of Henry's head in his surprised haste. He kissed the spot as his way of apologizing to Henry. A groan escaped him from just one look at his phone. His brother decided to grace him with a picture of his glorious face. A glorious face that was contorted to accommodate his pout. He looked the same to him. His thick bronze like hair that he insisted must be combed back because it made him irresistible. (A bronze color that reminded him of freshly minted bronze coins). They all knew his hair was because that was how Kali ran her fingers through his hair. He just made it easier for her. Two whiskey orbs stared back at him. They were more like diluted whiskey, like ones his father used to drink. Or the leftover whiskey in his clear white crystal-like glass with deformed ice cubes. The leftover whiskey he spent countless days gazing at, hoping it would give him the answer as to why he father could hardly look at him. A glass that never seemed to answer his questions, and from what he saw, not even his father's. A chuckled got lodged in his throat at the perturbed pout that extended to the tip of his nose. The one thing that none of them could have escaped from--a pointed nose.

He was wrong. Gabriel had changed. There were ridges where there were none. Thumb caressed his phone as if he would be able to feel their raised lines. "Because he's a big baby, that's why." Fondness and longing bled into his words. A giggle and a vibration pulled him back to Kansas.

_Anna: Send a picture!_   
_Bluebird: I can't send you a picture of another person's child._   
_Anna: pwretty please_

A gust of air ruffled the hairs on the top of Henry's head.

" _O Theós diáole, Anna,_ " he swore at the picture he received. (Translation: "God dammit, Anna.") ' _Why must they both pout?_ ' he groused in his head. Her pout was less pronounced since there was less nose to rival her lip with. Tease filled, deep sea-green orbs bore at him, surrounded by a mess of blood-red hair. A blood-red mushroom was on top of her head with two little arches on either side. A few hair was sticking out of the swirl on the back of her head. Charlie and she could not be more different that they were now. One with hair that someone dyed with their blood and one who stole copper wires to string through her scalp. She always detested that he could pull off the messy hairstyle. Unlike Gabriel, her face was a polished milky opal. No matter how the jewel twisted and turned it kept its silhouette. His father always mused how Michael, Lucifer, and her were his own personal marble faced angels--his _marmore signis angeli._

"Cas?" a smirk laced voice called. Midnight-blue eyes sought out forest-green ones. "Are you swearing in front of my kid?" The need to run his thumb along Dean's smirk raged through him. First starting from the pit of his stomach then clawing its way through his veins to get to his fingers tips. The twitch that it caused went unnoticed by his spectators. That did not stop the growing need to feel that smirk on his lips. To feel his breath ghost over his lips. Maybe those two frosted tulips would be able to cure his crumpled ones. "Cas?"

"Huh? Oh...I-I," he responded, flustered while he racked his brain for an excuse. Eyebrows came together. "Is saying the Lord's name in vain considered swearing?" His ears were assaulted with an arrangement of laughter. The most prominent was the Dean's loud gruff. A low, honey coated laugh that knocked the wind out of him. A deep throaty laugh that had nothing to do with his throat, but started from the soles of his feet and gained intensity with the more opened space it encountered, especially those broad shoulders of his. What he would do to have that sound pillage though him? His pinky hooked around the handle of Henry's cup as he pulled it closer. He needed to distract himself in any way that he could. "You're hot cocoa is going to get cold, Henry." Two hands, half the size of his hands, hugged the sides of the cup. How else could he distract himself?

_Bluebird: I make no promises, but I will see what I can do._

A smile overcame his lips at the smacking sound and little 'hmm' coming from below.

_Anna: Yay!_

He rolled his eyes. She was a married women who people entrusted their lives with. He abandoned his phone on the island and reclaimed his now cold cup of tea.

"Which brother was that?" Charlie asked.

"It was...a lady?" responded an utterly confused little prince.

"Henry," a stern voice reprimanded him.

Paying Dean no mind, he faced Charlie. "I started talking to my brother--third eldest brother--then I had to ask my sister something."

"Cas, you can't--"

"I'm not excusing him, because there is nothing to excuse. He's three." He mildly glared at Dean. "He is going to question everything, _and_ he's going to want to be in any conversation that is happening around him." Cas didn't need to look at him anymore to know that he was scratching the back of his head. The hands hugging the plain white cups were now strangling the life out of it. Gobalt blue eyes pierced into the squirming brunette.

"I'm sorry, Henry." One hand extended out to scratch the side of Henry's head with palm cupping the side of his face. "But you can't interrupt people." Cas was wrong to assume that Jess's 'if looks could kill' expression was out of his realm of comprehension because he was pretty he was giving Dean one of his own. If Dean wasn't a pile of ash soon, then universe had done him wrong.

"I know, Daddy," his innocent prince said. "I forget to say 'excuse me.'" Cas was not asking for a sharp intake of air and remorse filled eyes, he was asking for a pile of ash. He wasn't asking for much. Two forest of remorse presented themselves to him.

"Henry have been practicing polite ways to interrupt someone." Threading the fingers of his right through Henry's hair, he continued, "It's okay, Henry. You just need more practice then you'll know when and how to interrupt someone." More than once his fingers encountered little knots. More than once were his fingers frustrated by having their path obstructed by bands of unruly, fine brunette hairs. Frustrated fingers that once out of the chocolate covered forest of vines were covered translucent grease. Grease that seemed to make the ridges on his fingers stand out more.

"What's wrong?" Dean asked.

"He needs his hair washed." Grease covered fingers still rubbing against each other. "Do you want to do it now or when he's getting ready for bed?" Fingers stilled, and he raised an eyebrow. There was nothing domestic about this. He was helping Dean out.

"Can we use the new one?" Henry asked, grabbing hold of his grease covered fingers. Cup long forgotten on the island.

"Sure." Grease covered fingers squeezed soft clean ones.

"New what?" asked an anxious Dean.

"New shampoo." One look told him that Henry needed his fingernails clipped as well. Fingernails that were about three centimeters long. A rosy pink color assured him that there was nothing to worry about just the length. . He wasn't wrong earlier when he thought that Henry was clawing at him. "And his fingernails need to be clipped. Let me see you toenails." A choking sound drew him away from his inspection. Choking that quickly morphed into a coughing fit. Jess was seen hovering over Charlie steadily patting her back.

"We should get her some water," Sam suggested. Cas suppressed a chuckle at the death glare she leveled Sam with.

"I'm--" she stopped to cough, "--fine." Henry and Cas were to only ones that didn't roll their eyes at her. "Carry on." He eyed her suspiciously but made no move to check Henry's toenails. He could check them later when he clipped his fingernails, or maybe Dean would do that.

"What was wrong with the old shampoo?" inquired Dean, ignoring everything else.

"I finished it!" Henry proudly declared. One would think he finished his first marathon, the way he exuded pride at that little feat: chest puffed out, back straight, and head held high. Maybe he didn't finish a marathon. Maybe he was addressing his new subjects after having received his crown.

"Great job, buddy," Dean praised him. He then lifted his gaze upward to Cas. "You could have told me and save you the trouble of having to go out."

"It's fine," he dismissed him with a shrug. "Besides, he needed a different shampoo."

"What do you mean?" came an affronted reply from his right. Extremely defensive dark chocolate eyes bored into him. He didn't get how mentioning that Henry needed a new shampoo would offend Sam.

"Ignore him," he heard Dean say and turned just in time to see the last of his eye roll. "He just being a big girl 'cause you insulted the shampoo he bought. His expensive shampoo."

"I know it's expensive." He stopped to look at Sam. "And it's a good shampoo. It's just not the right one for Henry." Unconvinced eyes continued to bore into him, and Cas barely refrained from rolling his eyes. "I dries his hair out, and then it gets really greasy afterward." Grease clad fingers presented themselves. Callous fingers engulfed them.

"Uh," the surprised giant said, rubbing his grease covered fingers.

"Yep," came his reply while raking through that mess of vines. "We're going to have to comb out your tangles as well." He didn't know how Henry got his hair tangled up. His hair was about two-inches long and shouldn't be tangled up at all.

"How can he have tangles?" Jess asked, eyebrows scrunched up in confusion.

"I don't know." He did a quick sweep through the back of his head and found no obstructions. "The back of his head is fine." He paused then snorted. "Considering how he sleeps, we really shouldn't be surprised."

"Like father like son," Sam smirked, having been the only one to understand what he was saying.

"I wouldn't know. Haven't seen Dean sleep," Cas said. Two strangled sounds greeted each other from opposite sides of the island. "But if it's anything like Henry then I can imagine." He ignored the choking sounds like he ignored the fact that he would have to have been in Dean's room to have seen him sleep. The sharp needle in his heart wasn't that easy to ignore.

A massive grin erupted on Sam's face. "Trust me, it's the same thing."

"I once found Henry with his head at the foot of his bed."

"Dean once slept with half his body hanging off his bed."

Narrowed eyes pierced into Sam. "Which side?" A single blink followed by absolute silence. Sam then made a booming laugh that caused Henry to jump out of his skin. He was also sure he saw his tea rippled. Disbelief was written on the other faces as they stare at a hunched over Sam, who also happened to be clutching his stomach.

"Sam!" his wife called.

"I'm...sorry... it's...just," he said between laughs, then turned his redden face to Cas. "Does it matter?"

"I guess not," he smirked at his knowing face. "It is disconcerting trying to figure out how long he had been like that."

"I'm more concerned with 'how.'"

"Right?" It was a thrilling feeling having someone to share in your utter disbelief yet curiosity. It was even better having your body overcame by excitement rather than bitterness and sadness.

"Don't worry," he assured him then stopped to laugh, "he'll grow out of it. Or at least get it under control." There was the smirk again. "Dean has."

"Bitch."

"Jerk."

"You were saying earlier, Charlie?" This was better than having the knee-jerking need to reprimand the two of them. Pine-green eyes and a smiling face turned to him. He had even more reason to smile back when Henry grabbed hold of the hand on his stomach to do his own inspection.

"Oh!" she exclaimed, and catapulted out of her seat. She surely was peppier than his sister. She definitely reminded him of his sister when she pushed Sam out of her way instead of walking around him. He didn't want to think about what she would have done had he been sitting down. Shoulders bumped together while she rummaged through her pocket for his phone. "Aha!" she declared then waved her phone like a flag, which wasn't far of a stretch considering it was white. "You're gonna to love this," she informed him while vigorously swiping at her phone. It looked more like she was trying to get a smudge off of her screen. She was looking at her screen with rapt attention. Therefore, she may very well be trying to remove dirt from her phone.

" _Charlie._ ”

"Hush, Dean." Cas snickered at the glare than when over her head. "He-he," a low laugh came from his right. More specifically a small, low, devious laugh came from his right. "Gather around, bitches."

"Your family will be the death of me," he told the back of Henry's head, but Henry paid him no mind. He was too intently fixated on the hand in his grasp.

"Sorry," she said and huddled closer to him. He had to stop his eyebrows from merging when Dean went to stand behind Charlie or when she not so subtly squeezed his hand. It was a quick squeeze; a simple wrapping of her fingers around his that was there and gone in a second. Sam did, however, decide to stand behind him while Jess pressed close to Charlie. "I present to you--" she held up his screen, "--the drinking habits of the Winchester Clan," she ended with a simple tap of the opaque play button. The groan that escaped Dean shook his bones and Dean wasn't even standing behind him. Three people shushed him while Henry giggled. The screen was pitched black for two seconds before color sprung out in a higher resolution that he expected. The dark grey walls of the bar stood out around the sea of brightly light colors for a dimly light bar.

_"'Arlie," a disheveled Dean slurred as he approached the camera. Two of the buttons on his charcoal-grey shirt were unbuttoned while he perfectly styled hair was now plastered to his forehead. (He wondered why no-one didn't fix his hair. He shouldn't feel so relieved about knowing that his disorderly state was because alcohol, and not some person). A poorly de-labeled bottle was firmly held by the neck. He stopped at the edge of the table to straighten his spine. "'here's..." he paused to brought his eyebrows, "'enny?"_

_"Who?" Charlie could be heard saying. Amusement and a slight tease could be heard as well._

_"'enny!" came the irritated response._

_"We don't know any 'enny, Dean?" she innocently replied, like a good mother hen. Dean did look like he was some lost child looking for his mother with his messy clothes and uneven swaying. He was like an old coconut tree that threatened to topple over at the smallest of breezes. "I'm over here, Dean."_

_"Not 'unny, 'Arlie." Bottle and finger pointed outward, mere inches from his face._

_"That's Jess, Dean." He theatrical threw his hand in the air then scampered off or more like swayed off._

_"Where is Benny and who gave him more beer?" Jess asked_

_"You worry about that while I follow him."_

"Screw you, Charlie," a voice grumbled from behind him.

"I do believe my name is _'Arlie_ , Dean," she responded without missing a beat, causing a chorus of laughter.

_"'Enny!" they heard a voice say, pulling them back to the screen in front of them._

_"'Ean!" an equally disheveled Benny answered. Unlike Dean, Benny had all his buttons unbuttoned, showing the plain-white-tee he was wearing underneath. It must have been really hot in there if both Dean and his hair were plastered to their foreheads._

_"Dear God."_

"Shut up, Cas," came Dean's clipped response.

_They met in the middle and Benny wrapped his arms around him, dangling two beer bottles off Dean's back._

_"'here the hell 'ere you?!" Dean shouted as they separated._

_"You 'ent me for 'ore 'eers, 'otha," replied a hurt Benny presenting the two beers in his hand. He looked like an equally lost child who had finally found his mother only to be reprimanded. He was reprimanded for not only wandering off, but for picking up two dirty brown rocks while doing so._

_"That explains that," Charlie said._

"Oh my, God."

"Shut up, Sammy." His little prince giggled. He obviously was watching, even though he still held tightly onto Cas's hand.

_"'Ey, 'enny. 'Enny," he said shaking Benny's shoulder with more force than necessary._

_"Yeah, 'Otha," a completely calm Benny responded, as if Dean wasn't trying to dislodge his shoulder a few seconds ago._

_"Cas thinks," he stopped to giggle like a little schoolgirl. "Cas thinks." The rest of that sentence was lost in a sea of giggles._

"Dean, you didn't," they heard Cas's trepidation laced voice.

"Um..."

_"Cas said you look like a giant teddy bear!" a euphoric voice shouted from the hand size screen._

As slender finger tapped twice on the screen, pausing the video. "I regret ever telling you that." He didn't even mind the roaring laugh assaulting his ear from all direction. He didn't even mind the little shivering prince on his lap. He deserved this for even voicing his opinion on how Benny looked. "Seriously, Dean. Henry didn't even tell him." He didn't bother hiding his exasperated tone.

"I forget," the voice from below whispered starting a new wave of laughter.

"Great," he said then buried his head in Henry's hair, hoping the tangled vines would be able to hide him.

Two large hands weighed down his shoulders. He could understand why Dean insisted on calling him Sasquatch. From the grip Sam had on his shoulder, he could tell that Sam's fingers must have been at least an inch longer than his. "I'm sure he was flattered."

"Hilarious," he mumbled while silently cursing the ineffective vines. He was happy that they didn't laugh this time but chose to gift him with low, drawn out chuckles.

"Come on," Jess said tapping at the screen, "I wanna see what he said." Cas had to swallowed both his protest and his groan and withdrew from his unsuccessful shield.

_"Wah?" the joint eyebrow, open-mouth and crooked jawed man responded._

"He's going to hate me," bemoaned Cas.

"I won't let him," a voice of absolute conviction silenced everything around them--save for the laughing coming from the phone.

"Aww!" the two women squealed in unison, stabbing at his ears, as if the needle in his heart migrated to ears.

"Oh my, God," the redhead continued to squeal, "That was so adorable! I can almost pinch his cheeks!"

"NO!" three sets of voices roared at the top of their lunges while Sam, Jess, and Charlie flinched back. One would think that one of them just drew out a gun. Somewhere along the line, Dean became a wall between Charlie and the two of them. Somewhere along the line, his elbow fell on the island, and his butt was hanging off the edge of his stool. Shock ridden cityscape eyes and pine forest green eye stared back at them.

Their protective wall withdrew itself. "Sorry," he sheepishly apologized while Cas fixed himself upright and securely  went back on his seat.

"What was that?!" Charlie yelled, and Cas gritted his teeth. ' _She sure can be loud_.'

"Mrs. Jenson," Cas huffed out in unison with Dean's subdue one. Wide forest green eyes sought out his own midnight blue eyes. What were the odds that Dean and he would use her name as way of explanation? A faux smile presented itself while he tried to calm the heat that surged through him. He tried to tell himself that there was no need to read more into this. Things like this happened all the time. This was just a coincidence--an unfortunate coincidence in his opinion.

"What?" Charlie said, pulling her eyebrows together. Jess, on the other hand, had realization edging its way through her face.

"The lady next door, Charlie," Jess informed her by taking hold of her elbow.

"Across the street actually," Cas corrected her. It was perfectly fine with him that his fingers were being grinded together if it meant that Henry was safe in arms and away from her clamp like hands.

"What about her?"

"She pinches his cheeks a lot," answered Sam.

"She doesn't do it that often." Charlie tilted to the right with a scowl on her face.

"He ran back into the house on Friday when he saw her," Cas told her, head tilted to left with raised eyebrows.

"Who knew his little feet could be so fast?" Dean mused.

"Oh," she said, fixing her head straight, "Didn't know it was that bad."

Cas drew his eyebrows together when something occurred to him. "How come no-one has mentioned to her how much he dislikes it?" Cas was greeted by silence. "Surely, she would understand if you told her." Once more, silence greeted him. "Okay," Cas said raising his voice higher, "I'll talk to her."

"Good luck with that," Charlie said, sticking her nose up as she made her way back to her seat.

Anxious midnight spheres turned to Dean. "It won't be that difficult, right?" Two raised shoulders and pursed lips were his only response.

Two arms snaked their way under his arm to lock behind his back in a battle of tug-and-war. “Thank you," his little prince breathe into his chest.

"You're welcome, Henry," Cas said, snaking his arms round him.

"Thanks, Cas," Dean said in a thick voice; it felt like he was battle with more than emotions with no definite victor.

He bit down to need to tell him that he didn't need to thank him, he would happily do this for them. He also needed to bite down the impulse to reach over and pull Dean into their little embrace--to feel him huddled over the two of them, protecting them. None of that escaped him while he went with a "you're welcome, Dean," instead.

~~~★~~~

Bare feet took one step at a time as Dean made journey to check on his son and to get himself to bed. The cold chill that penetrated the soles of his feet and wrapped around his bones was a welcomed feeling. He was starting to get why Cas couldn't seem to wear socks around the house. The traction between the sole of his feet and his wooden steps was immensely gratifying. It was insanely freeing to know nothing separated his feet and his steps, and that every movement he made was all effortless. He didn't need to worry about how much force to apply to every steps to make sure he didn't slip like he would when wearing socks. He knew that once he put his foot down, the stair and him were connected and would only separate when he willed it. Pride warmed the chilled air around him when he realized he could feel this sensation in every part of his house, and not with just wood. He could seize this freedom in any part of his house.

"Did you like the story, Henry?" And just like that, his new found freedom was pried from him by the one person he unknowingly let in. A stranger his son let in, who now had a string on both their hearts. A stranger, who now had to power to tug and pull at their hearts to _his_ heart's content, and pull and tug he did. It wasn't fair that say he was a stranger any longer, because he _knew_ him. He _knew_ Cas. Cas was the man who woke up when his son did, so he could make him whatever he wanted. He was the man who made time to make his breakfast and his other meals as well without been asked to. He was the man that made sure he came home to a clean house, so Dean could dedicate more time to his son whom he couldn't see throughout the day. He was the man who gave him update throughout the day, so he wouldn't feel like he was missing out on his son's life. He was the man that smiled at his son like he was his own child. He was the man that smiled with his whole face. He didn't just stretch his lips out, he pulled them apart to the point where all his teeth shone through, and his eyes scrunched up. He was the man with the night sky for eyes. And like the night sky, he couldn't help but stare hoping he would see the stars hidden among the clouds. And like the night sky, he couldn't help but want to be pulled in, so he could see what exist beyond it. Was it just open space or was it sediments that were pushed together to create worlds people could only hope for?

God, did Dean hope that Cas wasn't doing this because it was something he did with other families. He couldn't bear to think that Cas lied to him about being okay with his family because of Henry. He hoped that Cas did all the things he did with his family because he genuinely cared about them as they already did of him. He hoped that every time he laughed and joked with his family it was because he felt comfortable enough to do it, not because he felt like he needed to. Dean needed to know that he wanted to be a part of his family because family was everything to him. He needed to know that Cas would be able to feel that he could depend on them, like they were starting to depend on him. Because Cas was his god send--his angel.

"Yeah," Henry shouted. A low gravelly chuckle followed his son's declaration. A low chuckle that imbued his chilled bones with heat.

"My father would be happy to hear that."

"What do you mean?" a sweet voice asked, and Dean could just see the head tilt. If he knew anything about their reading ritual then he knew that Henry must have his  back glued to Cas's chest while Cas cocooned around him. Cocooned around him like he was afraid that the world would reach its grief laced hand through his window and steal him away, cocooned around him like the very thought of losing him would cause Cas to crumble. If he knew anything about their reading ritual then he knew that while Henry had confusion marring his face, his eyes shone with adoration. Adoration that was mirrored back with  the same intensity. Adoration filled the scare space between them as Henry tilted his head back to have his question fervently answered.

"This is my father's favorite kid's book," an affection laced voice answered as Dean clutched onto the edge of the rails that stood mere feet away from Henry's bedroom door. The insatiable need to be closer to them gripped his arms and legs urging him to the room. Dark shadows dug into his arms and legs pulling him to them while the voice in his head begged him to leave them to their own little world.

"Really?" he squeaked.

"Yeah," Cas said, lowering his voice. Dean knew what that meant. It meant Cas was running his fingers through his hair. Hair, Cas spent a considerable amount of time trying to de-tangled. A considerable amount of time spent on the cold edge of the tub, combing through his hair while explaining to him why bees never intended to hurt people. A considerable amount of time spent lathering clumps of hair one by one to avoid getting them tangled up again. He didn't know how Cas managed to comb through his hair knowing that it was going to get tangled up again, but not caring and not caring that he was getting wet as well. Not caring that his shirt was more blood-red now than its original bright red. "Do you want to know 'why?'"

"Yeah!" Another low chuckle was heard leaving the room.

"My dad always said that most people focus on Max's anger when they should be more focused on the food his mother left him."

"His food?" asked a confused Henry. Confusion that permeated the walls and the man standing just beyond them.

"Yep," Cas confirmed, losing all sense of formality. It was just Henry and him in their own world of wild things. Their own world where Cas wasn't their guest and Henry wasn't his caretaker's son, but two beings that adored each other. Two beings that life happened sown together in the snack aisle. "The story wasn't about anger but about love."

"Love?" a skeptical little boy said.

"Mm-hmm. Love," he paused, but Dean could hazard a guess. What could have made him stop? The voice in his head kept him in place. "You see, Max's mom didn't have to leave him food, but she did. Do you know why?" A childish giggle rung through the vacant walls, both outside of Dean and within. A giggle that drown out the drumming in his chest.

"Why?" a clear voice rang out.

"Because she loved him, of course," Cas said in higher, matter-of-fact tone. "She loved him no matter how angry he got. She loved him no matter how much of a wild thing--" another giggle rang out, "--he became. And it's not only about Max."

"It's not?"

"Nope," he said, making a popping sound. "It's the same for everybody. Everybody deserves to be loved no matter how mad they get. No matter how much of a wild thing they become. Everybody deserves to be loved."

"Oh," his son whispered. He almost missed it, because he was too focused on the jackhammer that started up in his chest. Out of all the things that he could draw from a tantrum, Cas picked that one. The very thing that he has spent years trying to convince himself that he was unworthy of, Cas was teaching to his son. Cas was in his son's room teaching him about love while his father was standing outside his walls having given up on the fact that he would ever find someone to love him.

"You think you ready for bed now?" Cas simply asked while Dean couldn't even stop the assault on his chest--the pounding feeling against his chest that threatened to shatter it. Hands beating on his chest as a way of making their presence known but having no intention of getting out, just projection that ruse.

"Yeah," came his quiet answer. A stark contrast to the excitement he had leading up to bedtime. His bouncy demeanor and excited feelings have all vacated him, but decided to lend fuel to Dean's uncontrollable heart.

"Goodnight, Henry."

"Goodnight, Cas. I love you."

A low chuckle gutted Dean--hallowed him out, leaving his jackhammer of a heart. A low chuckle that had no trace of malice, but demonstrated how the love Cas had for his son could not be contained in that perfectly sculpted body of his. Love that shone through those midnight skies when he admired his son. Love that let allowed a fussy little prince to cling on to him while he stuffed shirt after shirt in his now discolored washing machine. Love that pushed tried, worn out bones back into place so that they could hold up Dean's little world. Love that silenced those tired, worn out bones as they shifted against one another, protesting their unfair treatment.

"I love you, too, Henry," his blue-eyed angel replied as Dean knew he would. Pride was rushed out of him as floorboards announced his angel's arrival. Where pride had vacated, panic roosted. Old friends with his wayward heart, and acquaintance with slippery palms. All who willed him.

"Hello, Dean," the angel whispered as it left one world for another. Left a world where innocence dotted the ground in shapes definite to the aged mind but friends and adventures for newly polished ones. Left a world where careless laughs are hoarded and locked away by gluttonous walls for a world inhabited by a broken man and chilled walls. A broken man who was used and was still being used by things he thought he had control over. A broken man that if one looked close enough could see the cracks. Rivers and streams where a once whole soul used to be. Rivers and streams that still continued to forge new twists and turns while he couldn't do anything to look on.

"Ho-" the broken man started to say, having thought that he had found his voice among the upturned shrubs and discarded soil.

"Floorboards," his angel answered. And once again his voice hid among the wreckage. His angel smirked at him, but Dean refused to believe that his angle could be amused by his distress. "You better hurry up," he inclined his head in the direction of his abandoned world. A small band of hair that begged fingers to reunite it with its comrades. "Wouldn't want to keep our little prince waiting." Open mouth and silent words were his response. "I worked really hard to warm him up for you and would be really upset if I was all for nothing." Cas smiled at him, wide and bright.  "Goodnight, Dean," his angel shook his head and headed for another world-- a world opposite his abandoned one. A world he now entered and closed shut.

"Goodnight, Cas," a thick voice said. A voice that returned covered in broken shards and broken branches. A voice that clogged and dug into him as it made its way out of him. Pain and agony that reminded him that Cas wasn't his. Cas wasn't _his_ angel. And Cas would never be. Cas was too pure to be tainted by him. Too pure to be corrupted by him. Too pure to let the rivers and streams forged paths through him as well. The tiny glimmer of light the hid among the muck dug its way out. A glimmer that reminded him that Cas could never love him for that to happen, because Cas deserved better than fallen trees and filth ridden soil. He deserved better than him.

~~~★~~~

"John, for Christ's sake, would you be quiet," Mary hissed, almost missing the last step at the top of the staircase. She wondered why in the world she allowed John to even follow her here. ' _That's right_ ,' she thought, ' _I didn't_. '

"What the hell are we even doing?" he hissed back. Blonde hair whipped back in a semicircle at an alarmingly fast rate that threatened to slash through the air.

"Shhh!" she hissed, sending him a glare that she didn't care if it lit him on fire right at this very moment.

John flinched back like a frightened child that was caught by his mother sticking his plump finger into her pie. She instantly withdrew her glare when he almost fell back, but was saved when stone hard hand grabbed the rail. The rail pulled him up like a friend would after he had already laughed at his fallen friend's expense. He glared as the butt of the joke would and she accepted the embarrassment that passed through her. Shoulders slumped at not only her insensitivity but her failure to noticed the change in her husband. Because, John had aged. Where smooth, untouched skin once lived now housed ridges. Ridges that must have been chiseled out when she had taken that first step. Ridges that crowed one another even though his face was I passive--save for the way his eyes threatened to light her on fire. Ridges that threatened the very eyes she turned her back on her family for threatened to make it its new home. She knew that he was seeing what she was seeing mirrored on her very face, just like how she knew who sculpted each and every single one.

"Sorry," she apologized by bringing his hand up to his face, not seeking smoothness but a glimpse into her own face.

"Why are we even here, Mary?" Dark brown eyes softened as ridges brushed against the ones on her fingertips.

"You know why," she sagged her shoulders lower, taking back her ridges.

"Mary," he whined either at the lack of contact or her stubbornness; she wasn't sure which.

"I need Cas to try this," she said, for what she believed was the eighth time tonight.

"Mary," he sighed, dragging his shoulders farther down than hers. Her bones ached to step down and embrace him, but she came here to with an intent, and she will see it through.

"I promised I'll be quick," she pleaded, looking in to those globes that she couldn't help but compare to dark chocolate. Two glass globes of hardened chocolate that she hoped would melt at her plea. She had tried many times to explain why she had to come here. But how could she explain it? How could she explain waking up at three in the morning with her bones trying to rip her flesh open so they can be let out? Why? Because every single one of them felt the need to put thing together while they wanted to go in all directions. How could she explain them coming back together to pry at her heart, urging her to seek out the one person who could appreciate what she had done? The one person willing to temper the voices in the back of her mind telling her that her creation was 'fine and didn't need fixing.' The one person who gave her what she had given up on.

"Fine," he dragged his shoulders even farther, "but if Dean wakes up. Then I'm blaming you." Sour lips puckered to the left corner of his mouth. Warmth uncoiled within her heart seeing his sour expression. Where Dean emanated her, Sam was the exact copy of John. Same chocolate eyes that she couldn't help but melt under. Same 'bitchface' as Dean would say. And the same awkward mumble they had when they talked to a girl, like their tongue couldn't wait to abandon ship, but word got in the way. John had suffered from it many time when talking to her that she was afraid he would bite his tongue off and grant its wish.

"He's not going to wake up," the blonde responded, feeling her bones edge back a little closer to their original position. "Come on," she said, reaching for his hand but getting his wrist instead. Unpolished fingernails held onto an equally stoned wrist as she yanked him forward. Ignoring his surprised squeak, she propelled herself around. Bones vibrating in pleasure the closer she got white door near the end of the hall. Bones resonating, knowing that very soon they would be able to return to their resting place. Cotton plated feet hauled in front of the white rectangle. Sea green eye, now turned dark green by the lack of light, stared into white. Cold now seeping into protesting bones as the blonde gripped at her husband's stoned wrist.

"Mary?" her chocolate-eyed mumbler said, coming closer.

"Do I knock?" she tentatively asked as if one wrong move and her bones may never return home again. "Or do I just go in?"

A groan and a loose arm followed her question. "Now you think of this," he harshly whispered. That was how it sounded to her. Everything was silent around her, and her rowdy bones were now quiet as they await her decision. Unpolished fingernails let go of the stone wrist and held on to the cold, hard, bronze circle. Pins snuck through flesh to her still bones as she twisted her wrist once. A slow dying cat called out as she pushed her way through the doorway to seek out her remedy. And there he was. The blue-eyed angel with moon beams trapped under his skin. Moon beams that didn't come from outside but shone from within, giving light to the moon outside. One leg stretched to its limit, straight out while the other overlapped it with its knee bent, in all forming a P-shape. Black boxer brief which rode up farther up his legs as if seeking refuge between his thighs. His arms were in front of him in the shape of backward L's, like those Egyptian hieroglyphics that showed men worshipping their gods. (She couldn't help but think how accurate that was, considering whose room his bed was turned to face--whose room was right across from his.) His hair was a mess of black threads that had no sense of which direction was down but decided to hazard a guess. Face made of marble that, unlike the rest of him, kept his moon beams hidden. All pooled into two dark spheres that needed their rest so they can light up during the day when the sun outshone the entire world.

"Cas," she called out, getting no response from the sleeping angel. "Cas," she tried again and getting the same outcome. Sock clad toes pressed down on cold hard wood as the blonde made her way to the black covered bed with the white blanket tossed to the foot of it. "Cas," Mary quietly called with her outstretched hand hovering before her. Bones begging her to just reach out and end their misery but her mind telling her to not too. One touch could bring them more misery than relief if she did this wrong.

"Just hunch him," John whispered from far behind her. Fingers coiled together as Mary fought down the urge to turn around and spit fire at him like dragons in that game Charlie and Ash are so obsessed with. "Sorry," he whispered to her now stoned back.

She relaxed her shoulder and calmed down her hissing snakes for bones. Fingers uncoiled as she tentatively reached out to wake the sleeping angel. Shivering fingers pushed into his soft white cotton t-shirt as she said, "Cas." The sleeping angel knitted his brows together as he tightly pressed his lips together and scrunched up his nose like he was smelling some putrid odor. "Cas," she called as she pressed harder into his shirt. The sleeping angel whined in the back of his throat--a sound that should never be mistaken for his battle cry. "Cas."

Black sapphire eyes shot open as the angel parted his mouth. "Henry?" Warmth seeped through her, blocking out the cold as the angel's face shifted his eyes up. Burning concern was quickly replaced utter confusion.

"Not Henry, dear," Mary smiled at him.

"Mary?" he cautiously asked, like he didn't know if his mind was playing tricks on him or not.

"Hi, sweetheart," she sweetly answered him. Shoulders sagging as her bones move that much closer to their original position. The now awoken angel didn't respond but rolled onto his back. With his now straighten arms, he pushed his still tired body until his back was pressed against the cold hard headboard. To her surprise, he sighed when his back and headboard. Her mind instantly jumped to the discarded blanket at the foot of his bed. ' _Does Cas like the cold?_ ' she wondered.

His head hit the headboard as his neck arched outward. After a beat, he turned his head toward her with a lazy smile on his face. Her breath was caught in her throat. Before her was an angel who exuded moonlight. An angel whose light fractured the darkness around him, where streaks of darkness tried to edge closer so they could snuff out the light that wished to dispel them. To her dismay, some of them made it to his skin and hid amongst his curves to wreak their havoc. The bravest among them made their way up his face and hid between the ridges of his face, the crease of his nose and cheek and around his eyes. All trying to get to the light hidden within those two glass spheres. An angel that was threatened to be consumed by the very darkness he tried to dispel gently smiled back at her. An angel unaffected by the cage slowly trying to form around him smiled at her because he knew the ability to fly wasn't lost to him. He knew that if he spread those wings that housed darkness itself, flight would not elude him. He was free to wipe the streaks away, shake his wings, and take flight, not knowing that three threads are attached to those wide wings. Not knowing that with every beat of his wings, he tugged at these three thread that never broke and never followed. Three little threads that watched as he went in search of a new nest, knowing that they are unable to follow or be what was right for him.

"Hi," the newly awoken, sapphire-eyed angel smiled at her. "To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?" Behind her, her husband made a gruff chuckled that caused the angel to smile brighter at her.

"I made apple crumble," came out of her mouth.

"Well," he started, smile getting as big as an hyena’s but with more grace and dignity, "after you then." Not waiting for them to make a move, he swung his legs over the side of his bed and pushed himself up with his arms. Feet touched solid floorboards without making a sound like a blackbird landing on a branch unbeknownst to someone until it cried out to greet the sun. One eyebrow went higher than the other when neither John nor she made a move. "Mary?" Cas called to her this time.

"Sorry," she said, shaking her head and letting her hair sweep across her back, "I was thinking about something." The stray eyebrow came back to join its brother, causing tiny ripples as it went. "It's nothing to worry about sweetheart," she assured him, while her bones were urging her to clip his wings and keep him close. "Come on." Her now dirty blonde hair whipped around at a more sedated pace, and thus not threatening to cut through the air. _Creak_.

"Shh!"Cas hissed, making John and her tense up. "Sorry," he whispered next. "It's just that... I don't want to wake up Henry and...," he stopped as if he wasn't sure of what he was going to say next. "Dean hasn't been sleeping that well lately."

Tiny tribal men with tiny spears jabbed at her heart. Cas not only wanted to help her, but he still didn't forget about the people was living with. Cas was worried about them. Cas paid enough attention to Dean to know he wasn't sleeping well--like a wife would. ' _How is this fair?!_ ' she yelled as she felt her thread got tugged farther. It was tugged farther when she realized why Dean might not be sleeping that well. She could only imagine what it felt like having the person he loved right in front of his eyes everyday but unable to touch. Too afraid that one touch could send him into flight. She knew that life would be difficult for Dean if he fell for a guy when she first noticed his attractions to men but hoped that women would distract enough for that to never happen. But Cas was proving that belief wrong. He was everything they could possible asked for, but they would never be what they actually wanted. Desperate bones clawed at her flesh while depression weighed down her mind.

"Okay," the torn blonde replied as she lifted her anchor of a leg. Each step felt labored as if she was walking on freshly hardened mud, where one wrong move could break its surface and unleash a sea of brown beneath her feet. Envy gripped her when silence trailed behind her. Silence that persisted through every stair and every floorboard that followed after. Mind instantly focused on the warm glow that escaped the kitchen, forgetting the silence and her depression. Bones singing out the closer they got. Signing that got louder when she went to stand in front of the apple crumple and when Cas stood next to her. The smell of caramelized apples and freshly ground cinnamon rivaled the ache in her bones. A smell that reminded her of her mother's kitchen before she was kicked out for loving a man.

"I'll get the plates and forks," Cas informed her while she examined her creation. Eyes unable to separate from the golden brown crust. A perfectly round shell stared back at her. A shell that if she ran her finger over it would the same as if she laid out brown sugar and ran her fingers over that. A silver pie cutter broke her from his admiration--Dean's silver pie-cutter with the black handle. Looking toward their cutter, she noticed the three plates stacked one onto of the other with silver forks on the top one. She smiled as she took the pie-cutter from the smiling angle--all traces of sleep gone from his features. Her bones edged that much closer as the apple crumple effortlessly gave way to the pie-cutter. Pride filled her up as the crust stayed perfectly together and not separated like sugar would have when held.

"Here we go," Mary announced as she loaded a slice on one of the three plates that have now been laid out. Her hands had a slight shiver to them as she choked the life out of the pie cutter she was holding. Quiet bones waited as Cas stuck his fork into the apple crumble. The fork seemingly sliced through the crust not crumbling it but pride didn't matter at this moment. Fear and excitement stalled her breathing as the crumble got closer to his parted, chapped lips. Her bones finally slotted back in place when he bit into the crumble. Relief sneaked into every pore on her bones while Cas chewed with intent. This was what she wanted. She wanted someone to tell her what could be improved. She wanted to watch someone meticulously chew. She wanted someone whose teeth and tongue would scoured through the mush in their mouth trying to locate the abnormalities. "So?" Mary eagerly asked as his Adam's apple bobbed up and down.

"It's really good," he said and Mary could hear the 'but' calling out to her. "But a little sweet." He smiled at her, not knowing she could see the worry that invaded those dark sapphire eye of his, not knowing that he had given exactly what she wanted.

"What do you suggest I do?" the blonde smiled sweetly at him to show how she wasn't upset.

His shoulders drooped and the worry fled his eyes. "You could reduce the amount of apples you used," he answered her while dragging his shoulders back up to shrug. "Or you could reduce the amount of sugar you used."

"That's it?" she asked, hoping that he wasn't holding out on her. The burning desire to know everything that was wrong clawed at her mind.

"The crust was perfect," the angel told her, "I would just suggest that you add to some nut or oats to it."

"Didn't have any."

Eyebrows greeted his hairline. "Well then, you have nothing more to worry about." The smirk he wore on his face only helped fuel the face splitting grin she wore and soothed her raging emotions.

"Can I have my piece now?" John cut in. Mary willing let the groan escaped her lips. Just like Sam, John had a way of ruining someone's moment. They always had to walk in at the wrong time or say the wrong thing. Mary reined in her annoyance while Cas chuckled lowly to himself, a low, gravelly chuckle that probably shook all of his bones.

"There's vanilla ice cream if you want some," the angel said to her chocolate-eyed mumbler.

"I would love some," he grinned, making the ridges stand out even more. Cas chuckled once more and made his way to the fridge while Mary decided to feed the impatient man across from her.

"Ahem," she heard and halted her movement with half of the crumble on the plate. John and her heads moved toward the direction of the voice. Standing before her eyes was Dean. Hair was a mess that could rival Cas's but were more skyward that Cas's were. He was wearing that red and black checkered pajama pants he was so obsessed with, arms overlapping over his very naked chest. His face was smooth marble that was deformed by tiny, shallow cannons that populated one side of his face. Lips pressed together as if to contain the fangs that threatened to come out. A darkness descended upon the forest contained in those two glass spheres on his face. A blood-red face void of any embarrassment or sleep stared back at them.

"Dean!" Mary exclaimed, pulling the pie-cutter away and hazardously throwing the crumble to the side of the plate.

"What are you doing up?!" Cas exclaimed, and three sets of eyes landed on him.

"What?" Dean incredulously asked with furrowed eyebrows. His marble face now fractured with fissures in every place imaginable.

"You have work in the morning, Dean," Cas said in an slightly exasperated voice. The angel ignored his raised eyebrows as he rummage through the freezer for the ice-cream. Mary tried not to clutch her heart when she felt a tiny prick. She knew that Cas didn't mean to sound like a wife, but that didn't stop her from wishing that it was true.

"It is morning," he pointed out as Cas closed the freezer door and walked back to the island. "And," he emphasized, "I heard talking coming from my kitchen so excuse me for wanting to figure out who the hell was in my house." His glare was lost on Cas as he looked through the cupboard above the sink for the ice-cream scooper.

"Oh," Cas said still not looking at Dean. "You can go back to sleep now." Her amusement filled eyes caught John.

"Cas," their son answered back, boarding on the edge of a whine. Their amusement traveled down south to rest on their lips, which curved up to catch them.

"One scoop or two?" Cas asked, curving on hand around the ice-cream container and pulling it closer to him. A smirk formed on his lips when Dean made a long, drawn out groan that was close to a whale call.

John tore his eyes away from her to simply look at Cas. "One would be just fine, Cas." Another whale call followed as Cas happily scooped one scoop and put it on John's slice then one for his plate. Her eyebrows came together when Cas pushed the plate to the edge of the island, and they met her hairline when Dean and the plate stopped in front of each other. Surprised sea-green eyes met equally surprised forest-green eyes. Sea-green eyes saw how Dean tried to fight down the pleased smile causing his lips to twitch. There was another prick to her heart, much harder than the last one.

"Mary?" Mary came face to face with dark sapphire eyes once more. A raised eyebrow pulled one farther away from the other. "Ice-cream?" Cas asked, holding up the scooper.

"No, thank you," Mary smiled. The angel shrugged, closed the container and walked away.

"What are you guys doing here?" Dean asked. Puffed up cheeks greeted her when she looked toward him. She glared at him and got a sheepish smiled back--a white and golden brown coated smile. Mary looked at her husband for support but got the same white and golden brown smile. Sea-green eye rolled from their position on the blonde's exasperated face. "So?" She shook her head and passed the apple crumble to Cas when he came back to the island with a plate of his own. Her heart swelled when she saw the pleased smile on his face.

"I made apple crumble," she said looking at Dean's crumb filled plate. It looked like birdseeds littered the plate that he was about to use rather than Dean being a messy eater.

"And you couldn't have waited until morning...why again?" he questioned, elevating one eyebrow.

"Because it wasn't for you," she sassed, tucking her lips into the corner of her mouth. An opened mouth and shocked expression stared back at her, while the angel beside her was shaking his shoulder in silent laughter.

"Mom!" her forest-eyed child whined. The angel couldn't help it anymore and barked out a low laugh, a loud laugh that not only shook his bones but the room around him. She felt it in her bones--her now stilled bones.

"Cas," Dean warned, turning his shadow covered forest eyes on him.

"Sorry," he wheezed, clutching onto the edge of the island. Two red patches sat under his eyes as he got his breathing under control. She felt a small tug at the pit of her stomach. What she wouldn't give for that blush to be for Dean? Her brave little solider that stood before a cruel and unjust world. Her brave little soldier that plowed through pity filled forests as he made a path for his little ray of hope. Her brave little soldier that stood tall and sheltered his little ray of hope from the world, while he slowly tried to hold himself together on the inside. Her brave little soldier whose soul was slowly coming apart flake by flake. With every new flake that got peeled off, a chunk followed. And any attempt to put the chunk back in its place ended with it falling back on the ground and shattering into countless others. Pieces that then got scattered by the wind while he stood there clutching what was left of him, watching as they get stuck in people's fences, as people step on them in their haste, and as some picked them up to admire them then to discard them as if it hadn't just meant something to them.

"Okay," her brave little soldier said, turning his face toward her. "Even though it wasn't for me, why didn't you wait till it was light out?"

"Yes, Mary," John drawled, reaching out for the remaining apple crumble, "tell him."

Unpolished fingernails dug into the glass pie dish. "Well, Dean," she drawled, yanking the pie dish out of her husband's grip, "I came here to see ask Cas if he could try my apple crumble." Glass glided across the wooden island and stopped in front of Cas's untouched plate. A smirk presented itself on her face in response to the glare thrown her way. "I couldn't sleep so I decided to bake something." A finger stuck the island, halting the glass dish. A sigh was heard coming from right next to her. "And when I finished, I need someone to taste it." She drew herself away from their staring contest to look at Dean. "I needed someone who wouldn't give me a one word answer." Sea-green eyes flickered from his face to John's. "So, here I am."

"Also," Cas interjected, "I told her to stop by anytime she wanted me to try something." He knitted his eyebrows together. "And I guess she did just that." Dean's forehead fell toward the island with a thud while she and the others rolled their eyes at him. Her little soldier shot up straight as if he just spotted his commanding officer approaching while the angel beside her turned into one of those statutes that inhabited graveyards.

"What?" she asked, head swinging from one face to the other, worry making its way up her throat.

"I'll get him," Dean sighed, dragging his shoulders down as he got out his seat.

"Henry," Cas sighed with a half-smile on his face. Her worry slowly receded back as she watched Dean's retreating form.

"How?" Mary asked. She didn't hear anything, and one look at John told her that he didn't either. Surprise clouded his chocolate colored eyes like it clouded her sea-green ones.

"Henry has a habit of jumping from one step to the other," Cas shrugged as if it was no big deal. As if he and her son didn't just know that Henry was awake without him having him call out to them. She felt a sharp tug at her heart when he realized that Cas had only been here for two weeks and probably had already picked up on all of Henry's little quirks.

"Look who's awake," Dean announced upon entering the kitchen, "and decided to climb down the stairs all by himself." The little brunette on his arm used his two little stumb for fists to remove the specks of sleep still stuck in his eyes. Milk Chocolate hair that sat flat on one side and curved out on one side like the tips of _Hersey's Kisses_. Pudgy little cheeks were painted in red. Navy-blue briefs hugging his little bottom were slightly covered by his black _Garfield_ t-shirt.

"He didn't want to wear his pajamas, " a voice next to her said. “He wanted his _Garfield_ shirt," the voice chuckled next. Five pale little fingers tapped on a naked sun bathed chest while a sixth pointed to the trapped moonlight across the room. The stone angel sagged his shoulders as cracks erupted on the surface of his stony exterior; cracks that surged outward creating vein-like patterns. An action that was mirrored by her heart, starting from the center then spreading outward. Another tap and one whine shattered the angel and blonde. Shards of her fragile heart were embedded in the bones of her ribs, had pierced her lungs and lodged itself in her throat. Fragments of hard stone bore into the world around her. Stalactites hung from the ceiling and walls around them while stalagmites shot up from the ground. The fragments that failed to band together littered their skins like acupuncture needles.

"All right, all right," her needle covered soldier exasperatedly said. Tiny white rectangles peeked through two rosy slits when the soldier marched forward. Two small branches for arms spread out before the soldier finished his journey. Two small branches merged together and hugged the moon tight, a moon that shone brighter at first contact.

"Aren't you going to say 'hi' to Nana and Grandpa? A good little prince must always greet his subjects," the moon teased.

A giggle hit the moon's neck. "'I 'ana. 'Andpa." A twitter of laughs followed his greeting.

"That's it?" Cas questioned.

"What are you doing here?" the little prince questioned.

"'Like father, like son,'" the angel said, rolling his dark sapphire eyes.

"Har-har, Cas," Dean mocked as he came to a stop next to John. Her newly assembled heart cracked slightly when she realized why he went over to John's side. It had little to do with watching his son and more to do with not wanting to be close to Cas. She turned her sad sea-green unto him. Forehead crinkled up and eyebrows met only to smooth out seconds later. Her brave little soldier smiled a sad smile her way which was just a slight upturn of his lips. A whine broke them their eye contact apart. Two shades of green locked on the angel who was transferring an upset prince from one arm to the other. A prince who glared at him then slotted his head back into the space between Cas's neck and shoulder, but not before gripping his shirt. The angel arched his eyebrows up as if to say, 'What are you going to do?'

"We're here because Nana wanted Cas to try something, sweetheart," Mary answered, feeling her grin split her face. Her eyebrows merged together when he made a sound. "What was that, sweetheart?"

"He wants to know what you made," Cas answered.

"You understood that?" John asked in disbelief.

Shuffled feet and a sheepish smile answered him. "You could say that I'm used to it."

"What?"

"Henry does it a lot," Dean interjected, eyes fixed on the pie dish. Like the true angel he was, Cas pushed the dish between John and him. A sigh forced through her loose lips while she watched two of the most important men in her life fight over apple crumble like starved dogs.

"She made apple crumble, Henry," the angel answered his forgotten question. "Do you want some?" Two apple crumble filled forks stood before two open caverns.

"Yeah," Henry told him. Two sets of eyes looked down at the death grip they had the pie dish in.

"You're going to have to remove your face from my neck, little prince?" the angel teased. A whine echoed through the two caverns that stood before her. A speck of silver out of the corner of her eye caught her attention. A smaller cavern and a apple crumble filled fork greeted her. The cavern close around the fork only to spit it out clean. Sealed entrance shook as the contents inside of it got tossed around. "Good?" the angel asked to which the prince nodded his head and opened the  little cavern again. Her chuckle joined Cas's. "Is Sam stilled worried about the accountant who's coming to the firm?" Cas asked while feeding the little cavern once more.

"What accountant?!" two crumble filled cavern howled.

"I did teach them manners," Mary assured Cas, heart cracking with every please sound Henry made and with every smack of his lips. She glared at the two of then the said, "Some big shot accountant is coming to the firm tomorrow to go over the firm's finances."

Narrowed eyes and a fork were directed toward Cas. "How do you know about this?" Dean inquired.

The angel brushed a stray crumb off the prince's mouth then answered, "heard it from Jess on Monday, got a text from Charlie that night, then got a call from your mother yesterday." Mary was tempted to cut the silence that descended on the kitchen with her fork. Even Henry stopped chewing.

"No-one told me!" he yelled.

"Why wasn't I told?" said a slightly affronted John.

"I did, dear," the blonde said with a roll of her eyes. "And I thought Sam told you, Dean."

"Well, he didn't," said an irritated Dean.

"Sam tells you everything," Mary mused, surprise flooding her mind. It wasn't like him to not tell Dean things.

"He's busy," Cas nonchalantly said. "According to Jess, the entire firm is working overtime to get all their work down so they can make a good impression on her." The fork was gently placed on his now empty plate. "His boss has everyone looking over their budget to make sure everything thing is in order before she gets here. According to her, if they make a good enough of an impression, this accountant would turn them onto some good investors." Dark sapphire spheres glanced at each of their opened-mouth expressions. "His boss's friend actually asked her to do this as a favor for him. So everyone is trying to please her and not make the aforementioned friend regret his decision."

"Wa-" Dean said, cutting himself off.

"Jess is really talkative," the angel said as the little prince slotted his face back into the space between his neck and shoulder.

"She didn't tell me all of that," Mary groused, mind running through all the ways she could reprimand her for withholding information. Amongst the reprimands, she found a tiny slither of a thought hiding in the back corner of her mind, hidden behind the congested reprimands. A thought that unraveled to show a sun-lit blonde and dark haired man laughing and chatting as brother-in-law and sister-in-law should. The tribe that had stopped spearing her heart to feast had started up again--having not been satisfied. While her damaged heart was under attack, Cas sheepishly smiled back at her.

"Forget that," her son dismissively said. "When is this chick coming?" he asked Cas. She bit down the hurt that filled her mouth. It was logical that he would ask Cas since he seemed to be the one with the most information.

"Tomorrow," Cas said, "Right?" A whine rang out when Henry's face was separated from his neck. "Sorry," he apologized, carding his fingers through his hair.

"Cas?" Mary tentatively asked, "Is he...?"

"Yeah," Cas said, letting the fondness in his voice seep into the air around him. "He refused to go to bed last night, so it's only natural that he's tired now."

"But..." she replied open-mouth while frantic eyes sought out her husband's. It felt as if her disbelief overflowed from her and filled his face.

"We were just as surprised as you are," the angel told her. "Well, Dean and the others were."

"Others?" John squeaked. She was happy that he asked because she didn't know if she would have found her voice.

"Sam, Jess, and Charlie," he listed as he moved his hips from side to side.

"Oh."

"You should go put him down," Mary told Cas, having finally been able to find her voice behind the walls of disbelief. "Or not." Her own eyes widening as the two sapphires before melted into two expanding pools of fear.

"Bad idea," Dean told her with expanded forest for eyes. "The last time I tried to separate them, he glared at me for the entire day."

"I'll put him down when-" Whatever Cas was about to say got swallowed up by the whine that permeated the air. "I guess not," he sighed a sigh that lacked any form of protest. The lop-sided grin he had on was more than indicative of that or the way he rubbed his cheek against Henry head. She felt her heart melt, slowly filling the cracks in between the shattered pieces as she watched Henry rub his face against his neck. A heart that waxed over her insides when she saw the want and joy that consumed forest-green eyes. Want and joy that tried to claw at their glass prison to no anvil. Held back due to the fear of begin exposed to the world and ruining what he had before him. Mary found herself thinking that ' _God can't be this cruel. He simply can't be_.'

~~~★~~~

" _Did you meet them?_ " an insistent voice said though the phone and maroon colored eyes rolled around in their sockets.

"Well, hello, dear husband of mine," Kali drawled. "My flight was fine. Thanks for asking. All wives should have a husband as considerate as you."

" _Sorry_ ," Gabriel quietly said as a smiled uncurled around her cherry colored lips. " _How was your flight_?"

"Shorter than I expected," she answered, pushing the white mountain in front of her to get to the multi-colored one behind it. She always found it interesting that very few firms color-coated their documents. Judging by the way Mr. Howard was trying to butter her up, this might actually be a onetime thing. "And I have only been here two hours, so there is no conceivable way I could have met any of them." Fingers scaled down the mountain as she tried to locate which sky blue file she needed.

" _I thought you said one of them worked there?_ " a confused laced voice said. If she knew her husband well enough, he was probably biting his lower lip and trying not to reach for the nearest candy in sight.

"One does." She figured it would be better to lift the upper half of the mountain to retrieve her hidden treasure rather than risk an avalanche. "But I only had enough time to shake his hand before I was hauled off to have the grand tour." She didn't see the point of it at all considering she had lived in a building bigger than their office. The exterior was beautiful. A traditional three-story Mid-Victorian building with vermilion color brick. Each floor with three windows, save for the first which housed only two and the front door. A pantheon styled door that was black in color and split down the middle with two lion shaped door knobs. The interior was bland compared to the exterior. Typical black couches placed in the waiting area which ended up being the entire first floor. The second floor had their middle walls torn down--according to Mr. Howard--to optimize space. Floor a dark brown that matched horrible with their plain white walls. That floor was used to deal with the minor cases and she could see why. The third floor was the more lavished floor. Mocha brown imported leather couches that when well with the cream colored walls--wall that had two modern works of art on each side. The couches were positioned so that they had a perfect view outside. Against the wall were two small bookcase that were filled with numerous law books, some of which she didn't know. What she found interesting was that there were no certificates that were framed and hung on the wall, a floor for their most reputable clients.

" _What are you going to do?_ "

Her neon blue fountain pen stilled. "Excuse me?" Indignation spilling onto the paper in fron of her rather than black ink.

" _Kali,_ " her dear husband whined proving what a giant baby he was. No one his age could possibly eat that much sugar. " _You need talk to this guy and find out as much as you can about his family_."

"How exactly do you suggest I do that?" She asked irritated. "Walk up to him and asked how the weather is and if his brother has a criminal record and if he is holding my brother-in-law hostage?"

" _That would be a start_." The groan she produced reverberated back to her by the cream colored walls. A tiny part of her was starting to regret coming here in the first place. Then again, she wasn't the one who said she would do this favor. " _Kali, don’t you want to--_ "

"Don't even finish that," she warned, feeling a spark of anger in her. "Of course I want to know if Cassie is okay here." The tiny spark now grew into a small campfire in the pit of her stomach with every word. "That's why I'm here. Isn't it?" Castiel was family to her as well. He was the one that got Gabriel to remove the stick out his ass and asked her out. He was the one slapped him on the back of his head when he almost chickened out of proposing to her.

" _I know... It's just_ ," Gabriel quietly said through the phone, dowsing her flames.

"I know," she told him, wishing she was back in New York and not starting at a mess of numbers in front of her. Numbers that couldn't comfort her or her husband. "I don't think any of us will be able to rest until we can actually see for ourselves that he is happy here." A weak broken laugh reached through the speaker and gripped her heart. "What?"

" _We're more worried about him okay_ ," he said, failing to keep the sadness out his voice.

"What do you mean?" she inquired pulling her freshly plucked eyebrows together.

" _Anna said that he's in love with this guy and doesn't want to admit it_ ," Gabriel sighed. The weight of his worry finally starting to seep through.

"No," she said to the quiet air around her. The other thing she missed about New York--the sounds. She missed the swearing, the honking cars, and the jackhammer. Something about this silence made her sadness more consuming. Rather than being consumed in the inside she was slowly been encased with depression.

" _Yeah,_ " he told her. " _According to Anna, he's going to ignore the way he feels and pray that it just goes away._ "

"Easier said than done," she said and resumed her writing because anything was better than focusing on her constricting heart.

" _Especially for him._ " Two sighs greeted each other from two different places. Cas always had a habit of falling for people rather quickly and with more intensity than the other party. And all of them had ended with his broken heart on his sleeve. A knock on the door pulled her from her thoughts.

"I have to go," she told him, "I'll call you after I finish here. I love you."

" _Okay. And love you, too_."

"Come in," she said as she ended the call. Her eyebrows flew up when she saw who walked through the door. "Sam," she breathed out then inwardly cringed when she realized that Howard had never told her his first name, just referred to him as 'Mr. Winchester.' Surprise overtook his face, and she felt dread filled up her charred stomach. "Mr. Howard told me your name and that you are the youngest attorney here," she lied, hoping her smile was convincing enough.

"Oh," he said, relaxing his shoulders a little giving her a chance to actually look at him. Once again she was struck by how big he was. Knowing Cas, he probably called him a modern day Goliath and she would support that. Two more feet and his head would have hit the top of the doorway. Brunette hair that was combed back then split in the middle to be combed down and tucked behind his ears. Two thin eyebrows covered eyes two shades lighter than them. A medium size narrow nose that fanned out slightly at the bottom just over two small rose colored lips. He was freshly shaved and wearing a regular black suit with a white shirt. He looked like he was about to go interrogate a suspect rather defend him. Samuel Winchester was on attractive man and her heart ached for Castiel. If his brother was just as attractive as him then Cassie stood no chance. She didn't want to think about what if he was hotter?

"Is there something I can help you with, Sam?" Kali asked because if she focused more on her heart then she was going to just blurt everything out and Cassie would not appreciate that.

"What?" he said then widened those dark eyes at her. "I mean. I-I," he stammered. She couldn't help but find his awkward-self adorable. A jab in her heart reminded her that she she shouldn't be comparing him to his yet to be seen brother. "Mr. Howard wanted me to find out if you needed anything?" She bit her lips to keep her groan trapped in her throat. Howard was starting to get on her nerves.

"I'm fine, Sam," She smiled at him. "Thank you." Relief flooded his face and eyes. Something struck her as he was about to leave. "Sam?" she called. The giant of a man tensed up in front of the petite woman behind the desk.

"Yes?" he said so close to fidgeting with his hands.

"Do you have a big family?" Two un-plucked yet thin eyebrows came together.

"Yes," he hesitantly answered. Two giant hands rubbed against his slacks.

"Howard was telling me about how a big city girl like her must not get a lot of home cooked with me being busy and all," Kali said while Sam tried to maintain eye contact with her. Sam looked closed to abandoning ship and jumping out the window. "He told me that I should try some while I'm here." A confused and jittery giant stared at her. "He invited me to dinner, but we both know how staged that will be." An immensely nervous laugh escaped him and she glared until it died in his mouth. "In addition to that, he also told me that the people of Lawrence are known for their hospitality and I should take advantage of it. So I fully intend to." She prayed that Cassie would forgive her for this. "I would very much like to meet your family, Sam." Two eyes bulged out to the point where if she was close enough she would able to see all his veins. "I would very much like to have a home cooked meal and experience this warm hospitality I am missing out on." Deafening silence followed, and she really wished she was at home and not in danger of getting smitten by one soon to be pissed off angel. "Sam?"

"B-but," he stammered, "Mr. Howard."

"I know many family oriented investors, Sam," Kali informed him. "People who would asked me about the people here and I can't just talk about Howard. Can I?" He shook his head with much effort. "I am going to need to tell them that there are family oriented people at this firm as well. I should be done with my work by tomorrow, so tomorrow night would be perfect. What do you say?" There wasn't much to say, and she knew it.

The man before her conspicuously swallowed. "Okay," he answered. "My wife and--"

"Your family and you," she corrected. Giddiness mixed with fear piled up within her. Giddiness at having found a way to meet all of them and fear at what Castiel was going to do to her.

"Right," the giant said, looking like he was steps away from tumbling down.

"Sam, there is nothing to worry about," Kali assured him. Assurance that fell on deaf ears if the slight shiver in his hands were anything to go by. "I'm doing my job, Sam. These investors are my clients and I'm here representing them the same way you represent your clients, by getting to know them. This is me getting to know you all." She could see understanding seep into his face. "This," she said gesturing to the two mountains in front of her, "is me seeing how capable you all are. You," Kali said pointing at him, "are my way of getting to know they type of people that live around here and whom Howard chose to hire. So, don't worry."

"Okay," he said then tried to smile at her, a smile that a dying person gives to his family members to assure them they were going to be all right, even though they are slowly dying inside.

"Just act natural and the same with your family," she said, ignoring how his eyes got bigger. "It wouldn't be fair to them if you asked them to put on a show, and it wouldn't be fair to my clients if you deceive them."

"Okay," he repeated. "Act natural." She could have sworn she heard a tiny squeak when he said 'natural.'

"Okay," Kali mimicked him. "Tomorrow night?"

"Tomorrow night," he confirmed and finally made his getaway.

A dark brown forehead hit an even darker brown desk. "He's going to kill me."

~~~★~~~

"Cas, fix your hair!" Dean shouted only to receive an incredulous look as his response.

"My hair is fine, Dean," he responded. ' _No_ ,' Dean thought, ' _it's not fine It looks like someone like someone took your to the back of the alleyway and had their way with you. Not the best first impression!_ ' He was going to blame the heat that went through him on the weather, not on the image of him and Cas in the back of an alleyway. Definitely not the image of Cas in his white dress and black slack pressed up against the wall as Dean rubbed their crotches together. Definitely not the image of him yanking his shirt free from Cas's pants so he could run his hands on his abs and make his way up those pecs that tempted him every morning. And definitely not the image of Cas's head tilted back as he sucked on the base of his neck. "Dean?"

"What?" he asked.

"You blanked out for a second there," Cas said, but again Dean was distracted by the way his shirt tightly outlined those pecs. A little tighter and Dean would be able to see his nipples poke out. The heat that developed down south was not something that he could blame on that warm Kansas air. The tightening of his pants was definitely something that he couldn't blame the warm air for.

"Sorry," he said, looking into his eyes. They were a safer bet than looking elsewhere. "I'm just really worried," he lied. Guilt filled his chest when he realized that his brother was inside trying to not lose his job, and he was outside thinking about nipples and alleyways. That wasn't something new, but it was something that he hadn't thought about in a long time. A big part of him was grateful about that. Sex was much easier to deal with than what he felt when he looked at Cas. He grappled with the urge to sag his shoulders to not inform Cas that something was wrong with him and to not wrinkle his own white dress shirt. "Ready?" he asked and a face shrouded in annoyance was his only response.

"Yes, Dean," Cas said, "I'm ready."

"Ready, Henry?" he asked and a green-eyed glare was his answer. "I said I was sorry," he exclaimed, and Henry looked away. He felt a sharp pain at the top of his heart even though Henry had been mad at him before. "Aren't you glad Cas found you that shirt?" he tried to joke, but Henry didn't look at him and buried his face in Cas neck. Earlier he had tried to get him into his white dress shirt, but he had refused. Every time Dean got close to him he would run away from him. The final time that he cornered him, Henry shouted for Cas so loudly that Dean was sure the neighbors heard him. Cas had come running down the stairs and demanded to know what was going on. Henry saw that as the perfect opportunity to make his escape and ran into Cas waiting arms. After Dean defended his action, Cas had the gall to roll his eyes at him and took a smug looking three-year-old upstairs. Five minutes later, he returned with Henry who was dressed in black jeans and a polo shirt that had red, white, and black stripes across it.

"Come on, Henry," the little traitor said. "Be nice to your, Dad."

"No," Henry said. Green eyes rolled in their sockets while the traitor chuckled. Dean was extremely proud of himself for not letting his mind go into the gutter when Cas made a low, gravelly chuckle.

"Okay," Cas said and the rebuttal got stuck in Dean's throat when Cas glared at him. "Can you be mad at your dad tomorrow? Today is really important to Uncle Sammy. You want to help Uncle Sammy, right?" Henry said nothing but removed his face from Cas's neck.

"Uncle Sammy?" he quietly said. Dean felt as if Henry had reached out and squeezed his heart. How was he supposed to survive Cas's stay with them if this little scene on Sam's porch was squeezing the life out of his heart?

"Yeah," Cas said affectionately. "You wanna help Uncle Sammy, right?" His little buddy vigorously nodded his head. "Okay. Now you guys shake hands." Dean chuckle became roadkill in his mouth when midnight eyes bore into him. He nodded his own head and took the outstretched palm in his hand. He swooped down and pecked Henry on his cheek.

"Da--d!" Henry whined and yanked his hand. He grabbed two fists full of Cas's shirt and pulled him close as if the closer Cas was to him the more protected he would be. Dean shot himself around to face the door. He didn't want to think about how true that was. He didn't want to think about his slowly shrinking heart that compressed all his pain into one spot. Henry was safest in Cas's arms. Dean would never willing risk getting close to Cas a second time. The closer he got to Cas the greater the chance of him fucking up and altering him to how he felt about him. And he couldn't do that to Cas or his son. He couldn't ruin what they had because he couldn't control himself. He had to make sure that the scene that played in his mind never happen again for all their sakes.

The front door opened before he could knock and out stepped his mother. She had on what appeared to be new black jeans and a black buttoned up blouse. Her hair was tied back in a ponytail, and she had pink lipstick on. One could hardly tell she was here all afternoon making dinner. "You're late," she hissed under her breath with real anger in her eyes.

"That was my fault actually," Cas said from behind him. "It took longer to find something for Henry than I expected." And just like that anger in her eyes got blown away by the winds passing by only to be replaced by fondness that they carried. He knew what having Cas around was doing to him but could only imagine what it was doing to her. Even though he had never spoken to her about Cas, he knew his mother wanted him to be a part of their family just as much as he just wanted him.

"Well, you're here now," traitor number two said and smiled at him from over Dean's shoulders. "Come in," she instructed and moved out the doorway.

"Where is everyone?" Dean asked.

"Out back," his mom told him. "Hi, sweetheart."

"Hi, Nana," Henry said but made no move to leave Cas arms. It looked like he was going to play nice with him, but not give up his spot on Cas's arm.

"He's in a bad mood," traitor number one informed her.

"What did Dean do now?" traitor number two asked, sagging her shoulders.

"Hey!" Dean exclaimed.

"He tried to get him into his dress shirt and a tie," he said, ignoring Dean affronted expression. Dean pushed back the thought that came to the forefront of his mind about how much this reminded him of Jess and his mother. A mother-in-law and daughter-in-law talking about the things her son and the other's husband would get himself up to.

"Henry doesn't look that upset though," she said while her eyebrows crowded each other.

"They made a deal," the little traitor smirked. "Henry's allowed to be made at Dean tomorrow instead of tonight."

"Cas said so," Henry told her. Her tense shoulders eluded Cas but it didn't eluded him since he was sure that his tense up as well. It spoke volumes of how much Henry was attached to Cas for him to listen to him as he would listen to his own parent. But that wasn't something that any of them could hold on to. Cas was hoping to leave them and have a family of his own one day, and they would be pushed to the background. Dean wasn't sure whom that would hurt more right now.

"Did he now?" his mother asked, focusing on Henry as he was. She must be having the same thought as him. Henry nodded his head unaware of how much this was tearing the two of them inside. It was like being clawed apart by a pack of starved wolves that have been hunting for day only to come across a meager deer. A pack that hunted together then turned on one another the minute the prey was caught. "We better go out back," his mom said to him, still not making eye contact with Cas.

Dean nodded his head and let her lead them. The sinking feeling in his stomach did not go well with the dread that slowly mixed with it the closer they got to the backyard. He needed to forget what he was feeling about Cas right now and focus on his brother. This was about Sammy, not him. He needed to separate those wolves in individual cages and pool all the dread into some dark corner of his mind. He could do this for Sammy. He needed to this for Sammy. He just needed to be his normally charming self.

The first step he took outside welcomed him with warm Kansas air and the anxious faces of his family. Gilda had on a white summer dress with bright green floral design on with while Charlie had on dark blue jeans and a white dress shirt. This was why he loved her. She winked when she saw his own shirt. Her and Gilda's hair were in their own ponytail.Next to them were Bobby and Ellen, both in black jeans. Bobby had on a navy blue dress shirt with a beer in his hand while Ellen had on a bright red dress shirt and hair let out. In front of them stood his father, Benny and Andrea. Andrea had on a neon pink summer dress, hair out and over one shoulder and was rubbing her stomach. Benny had black jeans on, a green and blue plaid long sleeve shirt, and a beer in his hand. His dad had on black jeans on and a lighter black dress shirt on, which wasn't tucked in like Bobby's shirt was. A little space away from them were Ash and Jo. Jo was wearing a knee-length lace dress with her hair tied in a ponytail while she tried to button up the white dress shirt Ash was wearing. Unlike the rest of them, he was wearing light grey slacks. At the head of the two lines of people stood Jess and Sam. Sam was wearing black slack like Dean but he had on a blood-red dress shirt on. Jess was wearing a black slacks with a baby- blue dress shirt and had her hair straighten and tied in a bun. In the middle of them was the main reason they were here. Dean was not expecting an Indian women. An Indian woman with dark brown skin and wavy black hair that rested on her shoulders. She was wearing a bright red sleeveless blouse and a black pencil skirt that was an inch above her knees. She had a pointy nose and bright red coated lips. She was a very attractive woman, but Dean was too hung up on a certain blue-eyed angel.

" _C'est quoi ce bordel?_ " he heard his blue-eyed angel exclaimed from behind him. (Translation: "What the fuck?) Dean swerved around to look at him. Cas stood there with comically wide midnight-blue eyes and a mouth that would have hit the floor if his jaws had not kept it attached. Disbelief was written on his face, but Dean couldn't have sworn he saw some anger flashed in his eyes.

"Hi, Castiel," he heard a soft feminine voice say from behind him. Again, he turned his body. Jo was no longer working on Ash's shirt but still held his shirt between her fingers while her head and everyone else were turned to the supposed stranger in their backyard. A 'stranger' who smiled sheepishly over his shoulder.

"Hi?" an incredulous laced voice asked and the 'stranger' hesitantly shrugged her shoulders. Dean turned around to face Cas. Midnight eyes didn't greet him but the back of Cas's head. "Where are Henry's extra clothes?" Cas asked his mother.

"Upstairs in th--I'l show you," he heard his mother say, even though he couldn't see her. Cas turned his body around and glared at her, a glare that Dean was extremely happy  wasn't directed to him. Cas sure knew how to strike the fear if God in someone.

"I will deal with you later," he calmly said, pointing a finger at her. The angel turned back around and marched back into the house leaving his audience with their mouth opened with his mother trailing behind him.

"That went better than I expected," a voice mused from behind him. Dean bit his lip to stop from groaning when he was forced to turn around again.

"What?" his utterly confused brother said.

"Frankly, I expected Cassie to be more upset than that," she said with a contemplative look on her face. Dean was the only one that didn't flinch when she said that name. He didn't know if it was because he had forgotten about her or if being told that she couldn't take care of a child extinguished any feelings he had for her. Henry wasn't her burden and screw anyone who thought he was. Henry was the best thing to ever happen to him. He did get why Cas was so adamantly against the name. Cas wasn't the type of guy that looked like he would like being called 'Cassie.'

"You two know each other?" he father asked. And Dean felt a tug on his heart. Someone that knew Cas before him. Someone that could possibly take him away from them.

"We should probably let him explain," she said, "and I am going to inform a certain someone that he should expect a very colorfully worded phone call sometime soon." She unlocked the phone in her hand and started to dial. "I'll be over there," she said with her phone to her ear. "He's going to fucking kill you," she said as she walked away from them in the direction of the far end of Sam's pool. Eleven opened mouth turned to face Dean. Eleven pairs of of eyes demanded answers from him. How he was supposed to know what was going on here? He couldn't help the dark shadow that overcame him when he wondered if she was an old girlfriend. He couldn't help that his mind immediately labeled Cas as his when he looked over to the pool. He couldn't help but wish that he could claim Cas as his.

"Dean--"

"I don't know, Sammy," he harshly whispered. "I'm just as clueless as you are."

"He didn't seems all that thrilled to see her," Jess pointed out.

"I don't think I have ever seen Cas mad before," Charlie added on.

"How about we just wait and find out?" Bobby offered and eleven faces glared at him. "We can rack our brains trying to guess who she is or we could wait." A smug grin found its way through his mustache when nearly everyone grumbled. An eternity later Cas and his mom walked out the back door. Henry was still seated on Cas's arm, but he now had bright red shorts on and a white t-shirt on. His mom walked over to him while Cas stopped a few feet away from them.

" _Ahem_ ," Cas loudly cleared his throat, looking over to the woman by the pool. Everyone followed his line of sight laughed when Cas groaned when the woman raised her finger to signal him to hold on a minute. Suspense gripped all of them when she finished talking on the phone and walked back to their group. Midnight eyes rolled in place when she smiled at him and stood next to him. "Remember how I told you I didn't mind your family popping in unannounced?" Cas asked with elevated eyebrow.

"Oh my, God," Charlie breathed out.

"Yes," Cas said with wide eyes directed at her.

"Oh my, God," Charlie repeated while all around her eyebrows met in the center of multiple foreheads.

"Tell me about," Cas exasperatedly said. His mom fondly rolled her eyes at the two of them, having clearly been informed already.  
Claws dug into Dean’s arms. "Oh my, God," his mother exclaimed. "You brought lemon meringue pie over."

"Of course, she did," said his annoyed angel. Dean immediately berated himself for calling Cas 'his.' Cas wasn't his anything. Cas didn't belong to him. He wished his mind and heart would get the message.

"Will someone please explain to me what is going on here?" a wild eyed Sam loudly question.

"Sam," Cas said, "everyone, this is my sister-in-law, Kali." Everything around Dean stood still while his heart too off. His shrinking heart shot outward to the point where it pressed against his chest and where it assault his chest. Relief filled his brain. Stealing all thoughts except the one that told him that she didn't use to date him and that she was family. She wouldn't be able to take him away from him. She wouldn't be able to take him away from Henry he quickly corrected himself.

Cas inclined his head in Sam directed while looking at his sister-in-law. "What?" she said with furrowed eyebrows.

A gust of wind left Cas's nostrils. "You almost gave Sam a heart attack yesterday," Cas told her. Her dark eyes rolled in her sockets.

"Sorry, Sam," she apologized, showing both rows of teeth. The corners of her eyes softened indicating that she truly meant it. Dean assumed she meant since he didn't know anything about the woman that showed up in their lives and who knew Cas. He didn't know when he started including Cas in their lives, but it felt right. He really wished that he didn't screw this up for them.

"It's okay," his brother nervously said. Two dark spheres shifting between Cas and his sister-in-law's faces.

"It's not," Cas pointed out. Sad midnight eyes held his brother's gaze. Every nerve on Dean's body shocked him in attempt to get try and get him to move and hold Cas. Hold him and tell him that it wasn't his fault and that Sammy wasn't angry with him.

"Well, it wasn't my fault," she said, crossing her bear arms over her chest. "Blame your brother."

"I fully intend to," Cas promised her. "How much of this was a lie by the way?"

"None of it," Kali said with a straight face. Dean wasn't buying that one bit. And Cas's stony face said he wasn't either.

" _Bhabhi_ ," Cas said in a stern voice. (Translation: "Sister-in-law") Dean could see the moment she melted. She shoulders sagged like the desperately wanted to reach the floor while the smile on her face went all lopsided. She went all glassy eyed at him.

"Haven't heard that on in a while," she fondly said. A stone faced angel glared at her. "All right," she said. "I am here because of a friend, but the whole meeting Sam's family and getting to know the people around here was a sham."

"Was all of this really necessary?" asked the aggravated angel.

"Yes." The groan that erupted from him disproved Dean’s assumption about him being made of stone because of how loud it was. "You would have never introduced them to us, Cassie." The little lady next to her drew in a breath.

"I would have," the de-stoned angel defended, "and don't call me that." A chuckle escaped Dean while the the grip on his hand dug in more.

"No, you wouldn't have," Kali said with a stern look of her own.

"I--" Cas started to say but cut himself off when the stern look intensified. "That is beside the point."

"Please," she said screwing up her lip.

"Kali," Cas warned.

"Sooo," she drawled completely ignoring him, "who's this?" She smiled with all her teeth again, but this time at his son. He bit down the need to protect his son. His caged wolves setting aside their hunger to defend the cub of their pack. He didn't need to worry because Henry was with Cas.

"This," the angel said, bouncing his little buddy up causing him to giggle, "is none of your business." Silence filled the backyard like a mist. A mist the slowly made its way through the space between everyone there. A single bark of a laugh slapped them out of their dazed state. Every single head turned to see Charlie clutching her stomach with face as red as her hair.

"Charlie!" his mother squeaked.

"S-sorry," she hiccuped, "I-I couldn't h-help myself." Her face now getting redder than her hair.

"Charlie," his mom warned.

"What?" she said, "It was funny." Her face was now a red affronted mess, a red face that didn't change when his mother glared at her.

"She's..." Kali said then trailed off.

"A lot like Anna," Cas finished for her. Amusement filling those midnight skies he had. "I know. Red hair and all." He grinned at her. His eyes pulled together with the rest of his face to power his smile. The angle that smile with his entire face.

"Sooo," Kali said looking like an eager puppy. Dean wouldn't be surprised if she hopped in place. Chest slightly puffed up at how his son can charm anyone without having to say anything.

"Fine." Those two eyes that promised what was to come later at night rolled in place. "Kali, this is Henry," Cas said. "Henry, this is Kali."

"Hi," Henry shyly said. Fingers on one hand hidden in the mess of dark hair that lined the back of Cas's head. It was if he was trying to see how far he could bury his fingers in the thick, dark forest on Cas's head.

"He's so adorable," she stated in a slightly higher pitched voice, a voice that sounded like she wanted to squeal but changed her mind at the last minute, and it came out as a mixed sound. Fingers scrunched up the hair that sneaked its way in between them while the free ones sought out the closest thing to fill their gaps which just happened to be Cas's shirt. Dean could help but think of how it sucked that he couldn't grab hold of Cas but was happy that it was Henry, and not someone else. He didn't know what he would have done if it was someone else. He knew he shouldn't feel this way but he couldn't help it. The first time he fell in love in year, and it was with someone he couldn't have. Part of him was happy about that, but part of him wished it didn't have to be. Part of him wished he wasn't such a broken man and could make someone happy one day.

"He doesn't like being called 'adorable' or 'cute,'" Cas explained to the confused face in front of him. Hs shook his head. "Don't question it, just accept it."

"Okay," the still confused woman said. "Well, it's nice to finally meet you, Henry." There was a slight pause and her lips twitched. "Anna talks a lot about you." Her two rows of teeth were now hidden behind the smirk she wore.

"I'm going home," Cas announced and the backyard transformed in a noise filled jungle. A jungle filled with sounds so high in pitch that it could split anyone's ear drums and sounds so low it sounded like animal growling as it cornered its prey.

"Well, she does," Kali defended. The angel huffed and rolled his eyes at her.

"Sooo," Charlie started to said, and Dean could hear the locks on the cages inside him rattle a little, "which one of Cas's brothers are you married to?"

Kali turned her smirk onto Charlie. "She is just like Anna," she told Cas. "Not afraid to ask anything. I bet she's just as strong willed."

"Yes, she is," Cas confirmed with a smile aimed at Charlie.

"And I'm married to Gabriel," she answered her question, "the third eldest of the Novak garrison."

"What's that?" Henry jumped in asking. Cas might be right about Henry getting to that age where he would want to know everything.

"A garrison is a group of soldiers that are in charge of guarding a town," Cas explained. His little buddy nodded his head and went back to playing with Cas's collar.

"Yep," Kali confirmed, "but instead of guarding a town they guarded the littlest angel among them."

"Against his will, I might add," Cas pointed out, a small indulgent smile gracing his face.

"But they were only doing what was best for him," she said in mock seriousness. Her own smile hidden behind her facade.

"A misguided notion, I assure you," Cas said, smile growing wider with each word

"I can assure you it wasn't," said Kali in mock indignation.

"I'm getting the sense that Cas was a sheltered child?" Charlie said with joined eyebrows, breaking whatever moment the two of them were having.

Two perfectly sculpted eyebrows came together. "Cas?"

"It's my nickname," answered Cas.

"Oh," she said, surprised. "And Cas wasn't sheltered. He was the baby of the family, and they felt like they had to protect him. They kinda made sure everyone knew not the lay their paws on the youngest Novak if they valued their life." Dean could understand that: the need to protect your little brother from the world, the need to make sure that he was never picked on and if he was, he made sure it never happened again, and the need to know that he would be safe when you couldn't be there.

"Completely unnecessary," scoffed Cas while Dean bit his lips.

"True," Kali agreed, "but adorable. Then again, you were adorable." Two rose buds bloomed under two midnight skies. Two roses that Dean wanted to reach out and touch to see if their petals were as soft as the appeared to be.

"I was not," he defended, earning him chorus of low airy chuckles.

"Yes, you were," she contradicted. "I have proof."

"Don't you dare," Cas warned, looking like the soldier she claimed him to be--face set in a stern gaze with his shoulders squared and looking straight into her eyes. The dark skinned woman in front of him just smiled sweetly at him--not at all affected by his piercing glare.

"So," a voice from next to him said, "how long have you known Cas?" Dean bit into his lips and almost drew blood just to stop himself from whining. Disappointment overcoming him at not being able to see Cas's baby pictures. Gratitude that clouded up those midnight skies didn't temper his annoyance toward his mom.

"Don't worry," Kalie said, confusing everyone around her, "I'll show you his baby pictures when he's distracted."

"Kali!" whined Cas and the jungle in the backyard erupted in various sounds once more.

"And I have known Cas," she said emphasizing his nickname, "since he was born." Dean felt his eyebrows crawl up to his hair, and he was sure that his weren't the only ones to do so.

"Really?" his mom asked.

"Yes," she confirmed. "His father and my father were old college friends who, as fate would have it, ended up living in the same neighborhood. So, naturally we ended up growing up together. And yes, Cassie's hair has always been that messy and yes, his eyes have always been that unnaturally blue."

"What?" asked the messy haired and unnaturally blue-eyed angel. Two miniature eyebrows met while equally small fingers stilled around a white color. A head as brown a fresh coffee bean tilted to the side. God, was his kid adorable.

"They were going to come up eventually," she said in a matter-of-fact tone. "I'm just getting it over with now." The angel rolled his eyes and gave his audience a defeated look which partly relayed, 'see what I have to deal with?'

The angels face soon went for defeated to apologetic. "Sam," Cas sighed, "you can relax. You're not being judged." Reassurance lined the slops of his face starting from the lines three parallel lines on his forehead, from pulling his eyebrows together in sympathy, to the outline of his lips. "Knowing her, she has already made up her mind about the firm within the first hour."

"I did," she piped up saying.

"Oh," Sam said and those massive shoulders of his started to inch downward.

"Speaking of which," Cas said as his face sought hers out, "what is the verdict?"

"That's classified information, Cassie."

"Cas," a small voice said and heads swerved to look at the little boy who had attached himself to the angel's collar. "His name is Cas." Fierce determination darkened his green eyes as he stared at her. The same look he had when he didn't want to take his bath, but wanted to run around the house pretending he was Batman. His eyes were on the verge of narrowing and his lips looked like two dried up plione pressed tightly together. The look of a stubborn child who was challenging his or her parent. It looked like Cas had gotten himself a supporter. He didn't even want to stop the warmth to cause his heart to expand.

"You're my favorite," Cas stated and the mocha colored head turned to face him, "and really adorable." A kiss to his forehead followed. Confusion marred Kali's face when Henry didn't object to being called 'adorable,' as if she was in math class and turned her head for one second to only look back and find the once empty board covered on every inch with numbers and symbols. Dean mentally kicked himself when he remembered that she was an accountant, and math would have never been her enemy.

"Cas and my mom are the only exceptions to the whole, 'Don't call Henry the 'A' and 'C' word,'" Dean told her only to see her face further intensify in confusion as if more numbers and symbols somehow magically appeared before her eyes. He partly wanted to watch her reaction because it was easier than watching Cas and son beam at each other like two lost family member who hadn't seen each other in years.

"I should have guessed that," she said, letting her shoulders go up then down. Accepting what this was as totally acceptable, which it might be. Dean, including the rest of them, didn't know much about Cas. That didn't hurt as much as it should have it just shot a thread of anger through Dean. Why didn't Cas feel like he could tell them things? He was confident that nearly everyone in his family had shared something with him. That thread swiftly turned into fear and wrapped around his throat like a snake that was about to strike when he wondered if Cas didn't share anything with them because he didn't want to get close to them? What if Cas didn't share because he didn't want anything to do with them after his stay here? The snake slowly constricted his neck robbing it of air while his heart was trying to make as much noise as possible to scare it away. What if his distancing himself from Cas was causing this? What if Cas felt that he wasn't being welcomed because of Dean?

"Dean?" a tentative voice next to him called, freezing not only him but the snake on his throat.

"Yeah?" Dean said using what air was left in his throat.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

"I'm fine," he lied hoping she would believe him unlike Charlie who was looking at him with narrowed eyes. He tried to convey to Charlie not to push this and relief washed over him in wave when she slumped her shoulders. Sad, dark pine eyes looked back at him in understanding. Too many pairs of eyes bore into him that he couldn't thank her properly or even sigh in his own relief.

"You sure?" she asked, but her voice sounded off this time. Almost as if she wasn't looking at him anymore.

"Yeah," he answered. He would tell her what he was thinking about but not now. "I was thinking about something else and zoned out for a second there." He didn't just zone out ,and he knew that she knew that.

"Okay," she said in a completely normal and accepting tone as if she was just told the weather forecast, accepting it as something that just was and not to be questioned. But Dean knew his mother. He knew what the slight rise in her voice meant. What the cheery undertone in her voice meant. His mother was not convinced but is willing to drop the issue--for now.

"Sooo," Cas said after a beat of silence, "your verdict?" He was about to show his appreciation at Cas for changing the subject but that would be giving confirming that there was a problem to begin with. He sure hoped that Cas was as fooled as the rest of them.

"You're not going to let this go, are you?" Kalie asked with an irritated look.

"No," Cas answered with a smile. Part of Dean would give anything for Cas to look at him with that much affection while the other part of him reminded him that it was better if Cas didn't get involved with him.

The woman in Sam's backyard huffed out then smiled at Cas as if he was the most precious thing in existence. The way someone would smile at their newborn child like they didn't know that that they could have been so attached to someone and deeply care about them. Where their entire face smoothed out and adoration overcame their eyes like they never expected this person to have this much power over them and could bring them this much happiness--a smile that Dean was more than familiar with. "And you're my favorite," she said.

"Gabriel will be so disappointed," he said in feigned sadness with slumped shoulders and a mournful look on his face. Dean was shocked out his starring by a loud, howling laughter. Kali had her head thrown back as she sent laughter toward the sky. Strangely it reminded Dean of an opera singer's laugh--loud and overly dramatized. However, this wasn't something fake. It felt more like an old familiar joke. An old inside joke shared by two friends who would burst out laughing in class for no apparent reason, earning themselves detection because they refused to share with the class. A sharp tug at his heart told Dean that was something he wanted to have that with Cas too. Even though he couldn't have him in the way he wanted, he could at least have him as a friend. That way they could have their own inside jokes. Resolution gripped Dean's heart. As much as it was going to torture him, he was going to have to stop tiptoeing around Cas and open up to him. It was the only way that he can ensure that Cas would open up in return and feel included in his family. The only way to ensure that Cas would stick around for Henry and the little woman next to him that has already sold her heart to him. He couldn't fuck this up for them because he couldn't deal with his emotions. He had-no, he needed to be Cas's friend for everyone's sake.

"All right, Cassie-I mean Cas," she said only to correct herself when Henry looked at her. Resolution took a back seat to pride when his son did that. Warmth overcame those two when a huff ruffled the mess of mocha before him. "Gabriel is really going to be disappointed now," she informed him.

"He'll live," Cas snarked. "Considering, I haven't been a child for a while now."

"Please," Kali responded, twisting her lips to the side of her mouth. "You will always be the baby of that family and the most loved."

"I highly doubt that," he retorted, catching Dean off guard. "If anyone is the baby of the family it's Gabriel," he quickly added. Dean was fairly sure that he was the only one that noticed this, since he was paying so much attention to Cas's face, but he could have sworn that he saw anger and pain flash across Cas's face when he first responded to her. They were there for one second until he realized what he had said and his mask went up. ' _Why doesn't Cas think he isn't the baby of the family anymore or why doesn't he think he's not loved anymore?_ ' Rage pushed out the feels currently occupying his mind at the thought of one of Cas's family members having a problem with Cas. His rage bubbled up when he thought about them forcing him away. He always knew in the back of his mind that Cas wasn't entirely truthful about why he moved to Kansas, but he never really focused much on it since he was dealing with his own set of problems. But the thought of one of Cas's family member forcing Cas to leave his mouth instantly filled his mouth with bile. Cas was good, way too good for any of them, and he didn't deserve that if it was true.

"True," Kali said with sympathy edging around her eyes, adding more stock to Dean's theory about Cas being forced from his home. That only served to help the raging wolf inside his chest, clawing to get out and track down whoever had caused Cas any form of pain. "And you don't have to worry, Sam," she said forcing a smile toward him, which only caused to wolf to claw frantically at his chest, desperate to get out and quench his thirst. "I already told Howard the firm's finances were fine and I would happily recommend him to some of my clients." His brother breathe a sigh of relief, but Dean was too focused on his rage that wouldn't seem to calm down. "I'm assuming he plans on informing the rest of you on Monday. Though I am worried about the firm's decor."

"Told you," Jess said and shared a commiserating look with Kali. "I mean it wouldn't kill them to hire a decorator."

"I can assure you that it wouldn't," Kali smirked. Dean's rage couldn't keep him from adding his laugh to the mix.

"Well," said Cas, "the two you can bond of paint colors later because Henry's hunger." A single tug pulled his attention from the two amused women toward his mom. "Henry wants to know if you made him chicken," Cas smirked at her, "he would ask you, but he's little you know because of you-know-who," then inclined his head toward Dean.

"Subtle, Cas," groused Dean. It wasn't the inside joke he was hoping for but it was a start.

~~~★~~~

"Would you guys be quiet?!" Dean hissed to the group of people huddled around him. Everyone, save from his dad, Bobby, and Ellen, was crowded around him as they tried to listen in to the conversation his mom, Cas, and Kali were having. Dean knew that it was wrong as he pulled back the plain white blinds on the back door to get a better view outside, but he couldn't help himself. He was only trying to get to know Cas better he told himself as everyone else was probably telling themselves.

The three of them were sitting on three dark grey plastic chair which were arranged in a semi-circle. His other was in the middle seat while Cas and Kali took the end seats. It was just like his mother to put herself in the middle of things. His mother and Kali had their legs crossed while Cas had both of his legs stretched out--reaching out all the way to Kali's legs--as his butt sat at the end of his chair, back in an inclined position. Dean couldn't stop the warmth or smile the erupted out of him at the reason why. His son, his pride and joy was using his father's new obsession as his own personal pull-out bed. Henry had his back pressed to Cas's chest while he had both of his arm rested against his shoulders--fingers curled slightly--forming a 'W' with his head. His legs were sprawled outward forming a downward 'V,' head resting on the space between Cas's pecks with his mouth ajar a little. Cas had his hand resting on his stomach with his thumb slowly caressing his shirt as his little buddy's diaphragm rose and fell. Again, all his nerves begged and tugged at him to go over to them and hold them close to him. But that was out of the question.

"What?" asked a confused Cas breaking Dean from his thoughts.

"Nothing," answered Kali who appeared to be completely enamored with the sight in front of her. Something that Dean couldn't begrudge her. Anyone would melt at the sight that Henry and Cas painted.

"Kali," Cas pressed on with irritation forming shadows on his face, stealing away the moonlight the consumed the rest of his face.

"All right," she said, sitting farther back into his seat. "I was thinking of your Dad."

"What?" said a still confused Cas, causing more shadows to form on his face.

"I was thinking about what he used to say when you first started babysitting."

"Oh." The smile that Dean was sure that was one his face was hidden behind mocca colored hair.

"What did he used to say?" his mother asked.

"Goddammit, mom," Sam cursed, vocalizing Dean's frustration. ' _Why don't we just send Charlie out there as well?_ '

"Well," Kali said, "Cas's father used to always tease him saying 'he better not come home with some kid attached to his hips.'" Her voice going an octave lower as she quoted Cas's father. The loud laughs that followed drowned out the chuckles that came from behind the closed door.

"Sorry, Henry," Dean heard Cas say and everything around went silent. Apparently the loud laughter woke Henry, who his tiny fists rubbing furiously at his eyes. "Sorry," Cas apologized again with a kiss to the top of his head. A small grumble came out of the fussy little boy. His fussy little buddy grabbed onto Cas's shirt with his left hand and twisted himself around. His two sock clad feet digging into Cas's thighs as he rearranged himself. After countless grumbles and low chuckles, Henry finally arranged himself so that his stomach was resting on Cas's, never once letting go of the grip he hand on Cas. Cas rested his hand back on Henry, caressing his back this time. One more kiss to the top of his head ended all the moving around.

"Well," Kali said, "it looks like you're in good hands."

"So, you can tell the rest of them to stop worrying," he sternly instructed.

"I will," she chuckled.

"Don't worry," his mom interjected, "we'll take good care of him." He knew without a doubt that her face was stony and filled with determination. If she promised something, she will see it through.

"Knowing Cas," Kali said, "he'll probably end up taking care of you more than you take of him."

Dean couldn't deny to voice in the back of his mind that said that Cas was already doing that and judging by the smirk on Kali's face, she knew it as well. Dean was even more fiercely determined to help Cas feel more welcome so that he opened up more to them. It was up to him to ensure that his mom and Henry didn't lose him. He ignored the voice that told him that he wasn't doing this just for them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter will be later than this one because it's Midterm week next week. Joy. I guess this is a good thing since I am not sure what I want to include yet. I have some ideas though.


	7. Parameter: Confirmation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> England's not the only country with a lovably prince.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really don't know what I was thinking when I wrote the beginning. 
> 
> I don't know if I said this before, but it never hurt to reiterate. I really would like to thank everyone for their support and feedback. My ego, heart, and reddened cheeks thank you. God, thanks for just reading it.

One light shove and the angel's back met with the wall, a cold, hard wall that was reflective of how cold it was outside. It was the middle of May and the temperature was just under forty--thirty-eight to be exact. A temperature that was in no way an indication that Summer was fast approaching, no way an indication that soon Dean would need to go shopping because that was what one did when he had a child that practically grew by the minute--he or she shopped.

None of that mattered right now as he looked at his wide eyed angel, whose eyes were staring up at him as if he was a lion that had just cornered his prey. Fear not only clouded those dark wide skies that looked at him but also desperation: the need to find something that would help him. Dean couldn't help but think how much of a predator he was at this very moment as he approached Cas. As he lined up his body against Cas's, he couldn't help but think that the desperation he saw in Cas's eyes wasn't from a desire to escape but from an entirely different desire--one where he wished to be devoured.

The sharp intake of breath as their groins touched through denim fabric was all Dean needed. The brunette hunter dove forward and molded his mouth with the opened one before him. The stunned man underneath him quickly pulled himself together as the desire inside him ignited.

Two tongues collided on a rain soaked battle field. Two tongues tried to overcome the other, trying to get as far into the others' mouth as it possibly can--a prey that decided not to go out willingly. The two tongues twisted around each other as they sought out refuge in the home that was abandoned by the other.

Dean near growled in the back of his throat when Cas gave up the fight. Pure pleasure ran through him while all blood flow ran down south. Not wasting a minute, he pressed his mouth harder against Cas's as he dove his tongue deeper. Both Dean and his tongue were pleased that he no longer has to fight with Cas's tongue but now able to explore. Dean ran his tongue over every surface of Cas's mouth that was opened to him. Pleasure built as he ran his tongue over the roof of his mouth then under his tongue. He did, however, growl in the back of his throat when he found the taste he was looking for: a taste hidden among the taste of pork chops they had for dinner, and vanilla ice-cream. A taste that had no particular taste to it but being so out of place among the other two that it had to be from Cas himself. Possessiveness stirred in the back of his mind telling him that he should have that taste in his mouth everyday of his life, and Cas should have his taste in his mouth for the rest of his life.

Anger surged through Dean's mind when all Dean felt on Cas's hip was denim and cotton. With a slight growl against Cas's lips, he pushed up the white cotton t-shirt Cas was wearing and gripped the side of his abdomen. Anger was soon replaced by pleasure when his thumb caressed Cas's smooth hairless stomach. His pleasure only built up when Cas made a small 'hmm' sound in the back of his throat: a 'hmm' that sound more needy than pleased like he was prisoner that was locked up and wasn't given any food. But when he was given food it was as if he was given back a part of him that was missing. A part of him that he ravenously devoured in attempt to make himself whole again instead of just feeding his hungry. Even in his hormone crazed state, Dean couldn't help but want to be the piece that Cas was missing. The part of Cas that he so desperately needed and the only way to get it back was to make Dean a part of his very being.

Dean's own desperate need to have Cas become a part of him caused him to grip Cas's waist tighter and separate it from the wall behind him, all-the-while pushing Cas's head deeper into the wall with the press of his mouth. All the movement paid off when Cas's erection fitted into the space between Dean's own erection and one of his tights. Dean relished in the feeling of not only having Cas's hardness pressing into him but also of his own pressing into the space between Cas's hardness and one of his thighs, relished in the feeling of having the heat from two erections merging together. Dean then thrust his hips forward, slamming Cas's hips back against the wall, pressing their erections deeper into the other's body.

"Dean!" cried out a breathless Cas. His cry swallowed up by Dean's mouth which couldn't seem to separate itself from Cas's. Dean was more that happy with that. Now that he had all of Cas pressed up against him, he had no intention of ever letting go. "Dean," Cas said once more, releasing a gust of warm air that filled Dean's mouth while the excess air rushed up to his already heated cheeks. Cheeks that weren't heated by the heat circulating between their two combined bodies but by the sheer need in Cas voice. The same starved prisoner that he heard before.

Dean's own need imploded, leaving behind only pure lust. Lust that pulled at the pit of his stomach telling him to end both of their suffering. With lust raging in him, Dean pulled back separating his mouth from Cas's. Heat gathered in the pit of his stomach adding to his lust when Cas whined in the back of his throat as he moved his head to follow Dean. He couldn't stop the smile that broke through his lust dazed state when Cas pressed their mouths back together. Dean chuckled when Cas growled in the back of his throat, no doubt from having his eager tongue blocked by two rows of a hard, white substance. As much as Dean would love to have that tongue back in his mouth, he had other plans for said mouth.

One hand gripped the back of his forest of unruly black hair and pulled. Dean ignored the squeak of surprise it elicited in order to admire the column of soft, tanned skin that arched forward. A slender neck that taunted him every time Cas would tilt his head to the left in confusion--a slender neck that begged him to kiss it to confirm how smooth it was. A slender neck that begged him to have a taste.

Dean, having been fed up with being taunted, dove forward and buried his face in Cas's neck. His mouth latched onto the first section of skin it found and sucked, hard. "Dean!" Cas loudly cried out, but Dean was beyond caring. His mind too occupied with the skin between his lips, loving how it felt to have it in his mouth where he could give it the attention it deserved. Skin that was as smooth and soft as he had imagined. Dean couldn't help but run his tongue over the skin in his mouth, loving the salty taste of it but wishing he had done this earlier when Cas's skin wasn't covered in a thin layer of sweat.

Dean sucked harder on Cas neck as Cas spread his legs, inviting Dean to press himself more into him. Dean stopped his sucking to kiss Cas's neck as he made his down to his collarbone. Once there, Dean forgo sucking to lightly nibble on the skin there. His nibbling intensified the more Cas opened his legs, giving Dean more access to feel just much this was affecting him. Cas's rock hard dick pushed back against his as Cas opened his legs as far as they could go. Dean's lust completely invaded his head as he fitted himself completely between Cas's legs. His hips pressed up against Cas as their erections slowly rubbed against each other.

Dean bit gently at the skin and pulled, earning him a pricing inhale of breath. The hand Cas had on his upper arm constricted as it dug into his flesh while the one he had on Dean's waist did the same. Dean released the skin in his mouth when a voice in the back of mind told him that Cas was wearing too much clothes. Reluctantly, Dean pulled his face away from Cas's neck and was greeted by an utterly disheveled Cas. He was too consumed with lust that he didn't see his handiwork. His normally stoic and guarded angel was a complete mess. His already ruffled hair was even more so now, and even though his head was still tilted back, Dean could see strands of hair plastered to his forehead. His mouth was wide open while rapid puffs of breath escaping. Spit covered lips looked glazed in the moonlight that entered the hallway through the little semi-circle window on the top of the front door. His eyes peeked at Dean through two tan eyelids. Tan eyelids that couldn't hide his outrageous at the halt in their rutting nor how wrecked he was. Cheeks  were so red that Dean could see them no matter how poorly lit the the hallway was.

Dean's mind instantly wished the clear liquid on the edge of his mouth and down his chin wasn't spit.

Dean instantly released Cas's hair when he felt his stomach tightening. His other hand came to the button on Cas's jeans. Probably the fastest he had ever moved in his life, Dean unbuttoned Cas's jeans and pushed it down, feeling immensely satisfied when he heard the jeans hit the floor. He worked just as fast on his own jeans as Cas stepped out of his. Two callous covered palms reached out and gripped Cas's thighs, preventing him from pulling his underwear down. His fingers snaked around Cas's thighs, and Dean hoisted them both up as he pushed himself back between Cas's legs. Cas's back was pressed hard against the wall as Dean held Cas's thighs tightly against his.

Dean was never going to survive long enough to get his underwear off. He knew that the minute Cas went for his underwear. As much as he would love to see Cas naked, he needed to get off now, and he needed to do it with Cas as physically close as humanly possible. There was no way he was going to cum alone when he had the object of his obsession within arms length.

Dean attacked Cas's neck again as Cas looped both his arms under his armpits to grab onto his shoulders. Dean wasted no time as he sucked and bit as much skin as he could. Possessiveness presented itself again as he thought about marking Cas for everyone to see, so they knew that Cas was his. That he made this angel into a needy mess that was gripping onto him like he was afraid Dean would leave him and not return the part of him he was missing. As if Dean would ever leave him. As if Dean could ever leave when he was gripping onto Cas's thighs with the same amount of force Cas was using. Dean was missing something, too, and now he finally had it, writhing under him.

With every bite or suck, Dean pushed his hips harder into Cas's pushing their already painfully hard erections together. Each push pushed Cas higher up the wall, causing his shirt to roll up leaving his back unprotected. Cas didn't care, and neither did Dean. Dean just kept pushing himself harder against Cas as their cotton covered erections hardened even more. The cotton rubbed against their aching erections. Each time their erections rubbed together, Dean lost a little bit of his self control and pushed his groin up taking Cas farther up the wall yet holding onto his thighs so that their erections dragged down together. That way their erections never lost contact. He lost even more control every time Cas breathing hitched.

"Dean," Cas breathed out in a tight voice, and Dean knew why. Dean lost what control he had left and started to rock harder and faster against Cas. There was no longer any drawn out motion, just a rapid succession as Dean vigorously pushed his groin against Cas's and thanking everything that the wall was between them, thanking everything that there was something hard behind Cas so that Dean could push that much harder against Cas, knowing he wasn't going anywhere. Dean bit down on Cas neck when he felt his stomach painfully constricting and gave one violent thrust of his hips before he came. "Dean!" Cas cried out as he came--digging his fingers deeper into Dean's shoulders--causing Dean to come harder when he felt Cas's dick pulsating against his own. Not only did it make him came harder, hut it also made Dean cum for longer than he had ever came in his life with Cas pressed so high up the wall that Dean was standing on his toes.

Neither of them said anything as Dean lowered them down from the wall. Dean just took shallow breaths that he breathed out into Cas neck. His ego inflated immensely with every shallow breath that Cas took. He couldn't help but think that he did this to Cas. He finally broke the angel that had broken him since the first day he saw him. He couldn't help but be filled with a sense of rightness as Cas's haggard breath filled the empty hallway. Hallways that always seemed to be void of any life when his family left but now had life breathed into them. Hallways that greedily sucked it up. Something that Cas had been doing since he got here. He could not remember the amount of times he came home only to have his heart constrict inside his chest when he heard the noise that filled his house, whether it was pots clanking or the sound of a low gravelly voice explaining why he was adding a specific ingredient.

Right now, he couldn't help but think about the wet spot on his underwear or the excess cum that was slowly running down his thighs, down to the spot where his buttcheeks and thighs met like a raindrop running down someone's window.

What.

Two eyelids retracted back, revealing two horror filled forest green eyes. Horror filled, impossibly wide eyes that stared up at the white ceiling above them and at the dent in it. All sounds were drowned out by the erratic thumping that came from within. A thumping that increased as two tanned hands gripped the white sheet under them. All of them only serving to help build the fear that was contained behind those two forest green eyes. ' _No_ ,' Dean disbelieving thought, but he knew what happened.

"Fuck," Dean swore to the empty room around him. One hand coame up to his forehead so he could run his fingers frustratingly through his hair. "Fuck," he swore again as he felt his cum pooling next to his butt-cheeks. He tugged at the hairs trapped between his fingers. His first wet dream in what may have been months, and it was about the guy he was trying so desperately to think of as a friend. The guy he was trying to see in a platonic light so that he could get to know him for his son and mother's sake.

Dean violently flung his white sheet off his body and over the side of his bed when he felt his forehead heat up. He wasn't sure if his embarrassment caused the sudden heat he felt or was it because of how warm the air in his room was. Either way, none of them was going to help with the problem he had in his pajama pants. More specifically, none of them was going to help with the cum that was starting to dry. Cum that was the product of him not trying hard enough to get over his attraction to the man who had nearly everyone in his family wrapped around his finger.

Dean swung his legs over the side of his bed and used his hand to grip the side of his bed so that he could pull himself up. Regret instantly clawed at his tired mind when he sat up. Two pools spread out around his butt-cheeks and thighs causing his pajama pants to stick to them. Two elbows rested on his knees as he hid his face in the palms of his hands. A groan that was a borderline growl pierced his palms and shook his bones. He was doing so well, too. He had managed to go all day yesterday without think about Cas in any sexual way.

Dean groaned loudly once more and stood up, not caring that he was stepping on his discarded sheet. Anger forced him to fold his hands in a fist when he saw two dark spots on his bed-sheet. Great. He was now going to not only have to wash his pajama pants but also his sheet if he didn't want to have the smell of dry cum in his room. Dean groaned again, but it ended up coming out as small roar when he realized that he was going to have to explain to Cas why he suddenly wanted to do the laundry. When did laundry suddenly become something that Cas normally did? When did a lot of things become things that only Cas did?

Dean shook his head in attempt to clear his thoughts of anything relating to Cas. He chuckled darkly when all his attempts failed. If he couldn't shake Cas from his thoughts while unconscious, what made him think he could do it while awake when his mind was more alert to the things around him?

Dean stomped toward his bathroom door, relishing in his pleasure when they cried out from under him just like how Cas did. He stopped mere inches from his bathroom door and bit his lips to contained the scream that was building in his chest. He needed to stop having these thoughts about Cas. He needed to make it to his bathroom, so he could take a shower and wash off his cum. He would like it to be before it completely hardened.

He continued trekking toward his bathroom, stopping right in front of his bathtub. He didn't even bother looking to the side to see how he looked in the mirror above his sink. He didn't think he could deal with how he looked right now. He quickly pulled his pajama pants down and stepped out of them. Anger build up his his mind when he remembered how fast he got his pants down in his dream and for what? To fucking dry hump the guy who got his mother to bake again? To fucking rut against the guy who got his son to smile more?

Still seething inside, Dean stepped into his bathroom and viciously pulled his blood-red shower curtain. He wasn't even bothered by the screeching sound it produced when the metal rings scratched against the metal pole that went through them. Without even looking, he pushed the diamond shaped dial in and turned it all the way to the left where the golden 'H' was. His mind  was too occupied with trying to forget everything relating to his dream.

"Shit!" Dean swore when scolding hot water fell on his skin. One hand held onto the shower curtain when he jumped back and almost lost his balanced. He used his shower curtain as leverage to pull himself up. He used his other had to move his shower head to side so that the water hit the wall, and not him. Careful of the water that was bouncing off the wall, he reached out and turned the dial to the left. Trepid fingers reached out to test the water as he ignored how his skin stung like someone was mercilessly stabbing at it with tiny needles. A sigh of relief worked it way up his throat and out his mouth when the water felt lukewarm on back of his fingers. Dean turned the shower head back so that it was showering his overheated body with cool relief. One arm rested on the cold white tiles, giving his body the coldness it need right now.

"Pull yourself together, Winchester," he hissed as the needles stopped stabbing at his skin, and small steady streams of water hit his exhausted body. He had no-one else to blame but himself. He was stupid enough to not look at what he was doing and almost burnt himself. Shame clogged his throat when he realized he could have hurt himself had he not grabbed onto his shower curtain. What would he have done then if he did hurt himself? Call out and hoped someone heard him? What would have happened if he had knocked himself out? Pray that his son or Cas didn't find him lying naked in his tub? What would have happened if he had fell and was rendered unconscious while bleeding out in his bathtub? How would take care of Henry? As much as he loved his family, he only trusted himself to give Henry what he needed.

A forehead pressed against the arm that had coldness seeping through it. Dean needed to get a hold of himself. Anger wasn't going to solve anything. Getting angry at himself for fantasizing about Cas wasn't going to help him. He couldn't stop that but he could stop all those thoughts while he was awake and hopefully his mind would get the message. He needed to because he, apparently, couldn't focus on any other thing than Cas's body, and if he continued to do that, he was going to not only hurt himself but his son and mother as well. He could handle getting burned, but he wouldn't be able to handle it if they got burned because he couldn't keep his hormones in check.

Making sure he looked this time, Dean reached out and got his Axe body wash from his steel shampoo rack that hung off his neck of his shower head. He uncapped the blue and black bottled and squirted a quarter size amount. He shook his head causing water to splatter on the curtain and wall and hit the floor with a splat when he realized he would need more that if he wanted to hide what he had done. He lathered the palms of his hands then sighed when he didn't turn the shower head. Today just wasn't his day. Using his left elbow, Dean moved the shower head then proceeded to lathered his entire body. He rubbed the shampoo into his skin with more force than necessary. Maybe if he washed himself thoroughly then he wouldn't have any reminder about what he did. That thought was what got him to squirt a small pea size amount into his palm to lather his dick and balls. After lathering his dick and balls, he moved them out of the way so he could get to the area behind it that separated his ass and balls. He couldn't tell if the leathery feel was because of the body wash or because of the cum that had gathered there.

Forest-green eyes rolled in their sockets when Dean realized that he was being overdramatic. The only way that anyone would know what happened was if he showed them his dirty pajama pants or he told them--which was never going to happen--or they smelled it on him. They would have to have a pretty impressive nose to smell it on him. He removed his hand from between his legs and went on washing off his body wash. He watched as the soap spuds gathered around the drain as it swirled around and went down--he evidence slowly running down the drain. He had nothing to worry about. He needed to just worry about not making it not happen again, and all would be well.

A newly cleaned hand pushed the dial causing it to pop out to its original position thus stopping the flow of water. Dean pulled back his curtain and took a step out, stepping on his pajama pants. "Fuck," Dean said, exasperated. He had just gotten himself clean, and now he was standing on the wet spot that soiled his bedsheet. He really needed to take care of his pajama pants. A single thought cut through his frustration. He was such an idiot for not thinking of this earlier. It was pretty damn early in the morning. All he needed to do was sneaked downstairs and put them in the washing machine. His pajama pants and his bedsheet would be washed and dried by the time everyone else woke up. See? He had nothing to worry about.

He retracted his leg back into the bathtub then bent forward to pick up his pajama. His head recoiled back when the slightly fishy smell of dried cum assaulted his nose. He needed to get them washed as soon as possible. He stepped out of his bathtub with his foul pajama pants held out at arm's length. A trail of water droplets was left behind as Dean walked out of the bathroom to his closet which was to the right of his bed. He pushed his honey colored closet doors opened and to opposite sides, folding each of the two doors into two smaller doors, pajama pants falling from his hand. Dean felt as if someone stuck a spear through his heart then slowly twisted it as they attempted to pull it out when he saw how bare his closet was. There were only four formal dress shirt hung up--two white ones, one lavender and one bright red one. One pair of dress shoes and one pair of black sneakers were under them. All of Dean's other clothing were in the drawers the lined one side of the closet--four drawers were on both sides of the closet but Dean only needed four for all his stuff. All his winter and fall clothes were in the dark chocolate, four drawer chest that was next to the bathroom door. Dean always thought he would have had to argue about closet space, not having to move clothes from his closet so that his chest wasn't left empty. He even had to spread out his winter and fall clothes, so he had a piece of clothing in each drawer instead of loading all of them into two drawers.

Dean reached for the sky blue towel that was folded on top of the bright red one. Both were on top of the top drawer. He scrubbed at his skin to dry as he tried not to think of how Cas could hang all of his dress shirt here. It felt as if any progress he made in attempt to stop thinking about Cas came crashing down by the simplest of things. He had been getting dressed perfectly fine for the past three years, and now he couldn't even bring himself to look up at his own closet. The closet he built with his own two hands stood there taunting him with its open space, telling him he had someone under his root that could utilize its open space.

Dean threw his towel on his bed. " _Fuck_ ," the brunette swore. " _Get a grip, Winchester. It's only been a day. You just need time_." Part of him believed himself, but there was a part of him that refused to believe he only needed time. A miniscule voice in the back of Dean's head reminded him that Cas had wormed his way into his life without him even noticing it, carving his own space in Dean's hectic family unit without him even noticing it. Hell, he hadn't washed his own laundry in three weeks, and the only thing he actually made for himself was cereal. And that was only because Cas woke up late yesterday which wasn't  even his fault; they left Sam's house at three in the morning.

He reached out, pulled open the top draw and grabbed one of his boxer briefs. A weak laugh permeated the empty space in front of him when he realized that he pulled put the plain black one. The same one that Cas had, same brand and everything-- Parker & Max, mid-tight boxer brief. There was a God, and he was one fucking cruel bastard. Anger and frustration wore down his body causing him to close his drawer and halfheartedly put his underwear on. A gust of air filled with an immeasurable amount of exhaustion and desolation was heard when the task was finished. Maybe it was just today that everything was going wrong. Maybe it would get better after today. He owed it to the two people who had a hold on his heart to try and get over his lust for Cas. Maybe if he hadn't use the other 'L'-word then this would easier to deal with.

Exhaustion and desolation kept him from closing his closet door, kept him from caring as he yanked off his bedsheets, propelling his pillows over the other side of his bed. He was going to regret doing that later tonight, but right now he was more concerned with making it to tonight. He extended his hand down and lifted up his filthy pajama pants. White polyester engulfed the foul smelling garment forming a basketball size ball. This was inconspicuous enough--no evidence of any form of foul play. Maybe if he kept reminding himself that this was criminal then it would make all of this bearable and maybe one day a distant memory.

He snuffed out the life from the same voice in his head that told him that was very unlikely: the voice that only viewed Cas as pinnacle in his life. The voice that told him that Cas had woven a thread through each and every member of his family--a thread that even the fate could not cut. Dean sighed. Maybe he didn't truly realize how much his life was tied to this black hair, blue-eyed angel. Maybe he didn't truly realize how much he didn't want to cut that thread.

Not allowing the swirling frustration in him to grow, Dean clutched the ball against his chest and headed for his bedroom door. A slightly quivering hand--whether it was from his frustration or his lack of sleep; he didn't know--opened his door. A brunette covered head dragged itself up only to abruptly stop. Two forest-green eyes locked with two midnight-blue eyes from across the hall.

Standing in the doorway of his other bathroom was Cas. His hair was freshly dried making it look like more of a mess. It reminded Dean of the rock formations one would find on the bottom of a cliff, where sharp rocks seemed to stick out in all directions and in varying size. Rocks that took far too long to circumvent. Dean felt pride well up when he realized that we was right about Cas's body. The only thing he was wearing was a white cotton towel that hung so dangerously low on his slim hips that Dean could see his hip bones, two hip bones that drew Dean's eyes to smooth, hairless 'V' shape that was just forming between them. He felt heat starting to make his way down his own 'V' shape when he noticed how smooth his abs were. Six perfectly sculpted abs that were a slightly protruding, not as pronounced as his were. Dean couldn't fault Cas since he put much more work into his body to keep up with working at a auto-shop. The heat he felt move farther south when he moved his eyes up to Cas's chest and saw the two pecs he fantasized about on Friday.They were pronounced than his abs and looked as if some damn god spent way too much time making sure they were the size of Dean's hands, with enough flesh for someone to squeeze them. Flesh that had two perky nipple the color of those bright red roses that his dad still bought for his mom on her birthday.

"Morning, Dean," Cas whispered, stopping Dean's tongue from sneaking out of the entrance of his mouth. The white ball in his hand moved south as the whisper pierced the air around him. A whisper that the wall refused to absorb. Today just wasn't his day.

"Hey, Cas," he whispered back, calm as ever on the outside but feeling as if a hurricane was forming inside. What was fucking wrong with him? What was he thinking? Just standing there, admiring Cas's body. What if Cas had noticed him? Then, what? He mentally pulled his hair as clutched the ball in his hand tighter. This was the opposite of what he was trying to do. Cas could never know how he felt about him. All Cas needed to know was that Dean was his straight friend who was helping him out while he helped bring his son some joy in return. Hopefully, Cas considered him a friend.

"You're up early," Cas remarked, face closed off more than normal. This was the opposite of what Dean wanted. Cas was supposed to open up to him. A sharp wedge of fear sneaked its way into the eye of the hurricane brewing in him when he wondered if Cas did notice him staring. The wedge made itself more at home at the center when he realized that Cas was intently focused on his face, his eyes boring into Dean's.

"Yeah," Dean answered in a strained voice. ' _Fuck_.' He hoped he was mistaken, and Cas was just giving him his undivided attention. "Couldn't sleep," he added as an afterthought.

Even from here, he could see the worry edging its way into Cas's eyes. "That has been happening a lot lately," Cas said, unaware that Dean could hear the worry lacing his voice. Dean felt two sharp pinch to his heart--one from having Cas care about his wellbeing and the other from making him worry in the first place.

"I guess I'm just overworked," he lied.

"I'm sure you can talk to your boss about that," Cas smirked while Dean was suffocated by his relief. It was beginning to look like Cas didn't noticed any. Which begged the question of why did he look so closed off before?

Dean laughed in what he hoped was his normal laugh. "I'll think about that," he said. "Besides, it's mainly because it getting warmer, and more people are coming in to get their cars checked." He didn't know why he was still lying to Cas, but somehow he knew he needed to make him not worry. He then remembered why or convinced himself why. He was doing this because Cas was his friend and friends don't make their other friends worry. "It'll die down soon."

"Oh," Cas said then pulled his eyebrows together in though. "That makes sense." He really wished someone would kick him right now because he realized that it did make perfect sense. The only thing wrong was that they didn't get that busy until the beginning of June. He basically told Cas they were extremely busy right now when they weren't. Great. It got even better when he realized that he was going to need the rest of his family to lie for him, too. Forget kicking, he needed someone to strangle him. "Now I feel bad."

"What?" Dean exclaimed as his eyebrows met his hairline.

"All of you were probably so stressed out," Cas defeatedly said, "and then sister-in-law just showed up, adding to everyone's stress." Strangling wouldn't be agonizing enough. He needed someone to stick that spear back into his heart and turn it as slow as humanly possible. ' _Good going, Winchester_ ,' he thought. 'Y _ou got him to stop worrying, but now he feels like shit because he thinks this is his fault. You fucking moron_.'

"Cas," Dean sighed miserably, "this isn't you fault. It's just something that happens every year." The pressure on his heart lessened when Cas gave him a weak smile.

"I'm still sorry about that," he quietly apologized.

"Don't be," Dean told him as the pressure on his heart increased. "You didn't know she would have showed up, besides--" Dean smirked at him,"--it seemed pretty obvious that you didn't mind her being there." Regret presented itself in the front of his mind as soon as the words left his mouth because blood rushed to both of Cas's cheeks, and he ducked his head. Not only was Dean going to have to stop thinking about Cas in non-friendly ways, he was going to have to make sure he didn't make him blush as well.

The dark haired man lifted his head up, but even from his spot by his door, Dean could still make out his red cheeks. "She's family," he shrugged.

"Exactly," Dean agreed. "So we can't be mad at her for wanting to see you or blame you for being happy that she was here." All the pressure on his heart evaporated when Cas smiled at him. The smile where he showed all his teeth and his entire face crinkled up, especially his eyes and the side of his mouth. He felt his own smile break out. He guessed it was safe to say that Cas hadn't noticed his staring earlier and need not have to worry about Cas worrying about him anymore.

"It was nice seeing her," Cas told him. "The last time we were in the same room was Christmas."

"Really?"

"Yeah," Cas said, and Dean couldn't help but smile a little more because that single word. The only person Cas lost all formality with was Henry. It felt relieving to know that Cas was losing his formality with him, too. This could all work out. He got Cas to open up a little to him. Now all he need to do was keep himself under control. "It was the first Christmas in years where all of got together."

"That must have been nice," Dean said. He knew how good it felt when his family had their little gathering, he could only imagine what it felt like for Cas who didn't see his family everyday. He wanted to hug him so badly. 

"It was," Cas smiled. His shoulder then slumped down as a downcast look overcame his face. A small pin pierced Dean's heart. He was trying to cheer Cas up, not make him depressed.

"I'm--" Dean started to say but stopped when Cas raised his hand.

"You didn't do anything wrong, Dean," Cas assured him. Dean couldn't help but think that Cas was saying more that. He was looking at him to evaluating like he was trying to will him to see something. Dean just didn't know what he was supposed to see. "Seeing Kali just made realized how much I miss the others." A weak smile presented itself to Dean. Again Dean couldn't help but feel that Cas was trying to tell him something, but now seemed to have given up. "I should probably go visit them."

Dean knew without a doubt that if hadn't bitten his lip then he would have screamed out 'no' at the top of his lungs. The fear that wrenched at his stomach almost brought him to his knees. It did knock out all his confusion from earlier only to replace it with dread. This was the last thing he-Henry would have wanted. Cas couldn't leave because if he left there was the chance that he wouldn't return, there was the chance that his family could convince him to move back home. Dean couldn't let that happen.

A queasy sensation came over him when he realized what he was thinking. He didn't want Cas to see his own family because of his selfish need. He who valued family above all else was about to tell Cas not to go see his own family because of his fears. His queasiness only increased when he realized that a big part of him wasn't afraid for his son but for him. He wasn't as afraid of what would happen to his son if Cas never came as he was for himself. Maybe that was why they all left him, because he was a selfish bastard.

"You should," Dean said as encouraging as he possibly could. Fear gripped his hear when he saw hurt flash across Cas face. It was there one second then covered up in the next. Dean didn't need anyone to stab at his heart it would be much more gratifying if he did it himself. Now Cas probably thought he had some problem with him and his family. Great.

"I might," he said, "probably before school starts." How could Dean have possibly forgot that Cas signed a contract with the University? That meant that he would have to teach at the University for a year. Dean felt nauseated by the relief that he felt. What was he even doing? He knew he could never have Cas, so why was he so happy that Cas would have to stay close to them--him--for a while?

"So, you're up early," Dean said then inwardly cringed when he realized just how much of a stupid remark that was. Of course, Cas was awake. Cas was one of those people who could never seem to sleep in.

"Yeah," Cas said in a slightly skeptical tone. "Henry wanted muffins for some odd reason," Cas added with knitted eyebrows. Dean had never in his life been more grateful for muffins than at this very moment. "Plus, I have to iron one of my shirts later on."

Once again Dean's eyebrows and hairline greeted each other. "What?"

"Your mom invited me to go to church with her," said the amused man in front of him.

"She did what?" he incredulously asked.

"Asked me to go to church with her," he reiterated, "and she said you can come too if you like. Henry heard us talking about it and invited himself." Dean wasn't even surprised. Wherever Cas went, Henry wasn't too far behind, following him like a little puppy who finally had his owner back after having been left on his own for the entire day, so afraid that if he didn't keep an eye on his owner, he would leave him again. "You don't mind, do you?"

The brunette snorted. "As if I can stop him now that he's already made his mind up. And no, I don't mind."

"True," the angel chuckled. "What about you?"

What about him? Did he even want to go? Did he want to go worship some god that pretty much forsaken him? Did he want to go to house of some god that point blank said that the way someone felt about the same sex was blasphemous? No. Dean had no intention of going to church and probably would never go anytime soon. "No," Dean answered him. "Church really isn't my thing."

"Okay," Cas said and his eyes flashed to the bedsheet for a second.

"I was going to do some laundry," Dean rushed out, feeling heat overcome his cheeks like someone blew hot air on them.

"I can--"

"You have church and Henry to worry about," Dean cut him off by saying. "Let me worry about the housework for once." Dean chose to ignore how similar it sounded like when Sam and Jess would argue over doing the housework because they felt the other was too overworked. "Besides, I'm going to need something to do."

"Sorry I stole your son," Cas said, sounding the least bit sorry.

"I'm sure you are," Dean teased. It was all worth it to Dean when he got a low gravelly chuckle as his response. His pleasure was short lived when silence made itself known. A silence that had become an unwanted guest in the three years he had lived in this house, an unwanted guess that only showed itself when his son was nowhere to be seen, an unwanted guest that he had thought he had gotten accustomed to but now seemed to be sucking everything out of him.

"I'm going to go...go get dressed now," Cas uncomfortably said. Maybe the silence wasn't just affecting him but Cas as well.

"I'm going to go...you know," Dean said, raising the ball in his hand. Cas just gave him a single nod of his head.

Dean wasn't aware that the both took a step at the same time since he had his head down. He was too focused on how his two feet suddenly felt like they were attached to two ball-and-chain with none of the added benefits, how every step he took felt as if the ball-and-chain was getting bigger. As much as he couldn't stand the silence that filled his hallway, he knew he could face the one that awaited him at the bottom of his stairs. Amidst all of that was the silent mantra of ' _please don't let his towel drop_.' With the way his day was going, Dean wasn't sure what would happen to him if Cas towel fell.

"Thanks for doing the laundry," Cas whispered as he passed him.

"Thanks for taking care of my son," Dean responded, feeling immensely inadequate.

"You never have to thank me for that," Cas said from somewhere behind him. "Taking care of Henry isn't or will ever be a hardship."

Why could Dean ever want to worship a god who could dangled everything he could ever want right in front of his face with no intention of ever giving it to him?

~~~★~~~

A loud gust of air escaped the angel as he sagged against his bedroom door. He couldn't even bask in his relief when he felt his frustration rose up from somewhere in his mind. How was he ever supposed to get over his lust--he refused to accept it as being anything but lust--for Dean when the man insisted on walking shirtless every chance he got? He had wondered at times if Dean knew about his attraction and was doing this on purpose to torture him. He quickly discarded that notion because there was no way Dean knew about his attraction. He made sure of that. Needless to say making sure Dean never found out about it wasn't an easy task because of the aforementioned reason.

Cas had to focus all his attention on Dean face earlier to not give anything away because Dean's chest and stomach were perfect. He had six perfect outlined abs like he spent hours with a chisel and hammer making sure they were the perfect size and shape instead of spending hours in the garage working out. His pecs were perfectly puffed out but not too much that they distracted one's eyes away form his abs but enough to stand out. He always knew that Dean had really great biceps and arms and it was further confirmed once again today. His biceps also had a single vein standing out on each bicep instead of an array of them.

It still baffled him how every part--or the parts he could see--of Dean were the same light tan color. Normally people wouldn't be uniformly the same shade, but Dean was. The only color that came to mind right now was honey colored. And he wasn't talking about regular honey color but the color one saw when he oe she hold up a jar of honey in front of the sun.

To add to his frustrations, Dean's chest and stomach weren't as smooth as his were. Dean had tiny brunette hair spread out throughout his chest and abs, tiny hairs that lined his arms and biceps as well. He had never been someone who was fond of too much hair and it wasn't helping his situation having Dean be one of those guys that couldn't grow that much hair even with the amount of testosterone they had.

The angel groaned at the empty room. He need to stop thinking about Dean. His frustrations were slowly dying away only to be replaced with bubbling anger. What was he even doing? Fantasizing about a straight man was what. He knew that no good could ever come of this, but he didn't know why he couldn't stop. He had never had a problem with getting over someone he knew he couldn't have, but he just couldn't with Dean.

His anger gripped his heart forcing it to beat fanatically in attempt to dislodge its grip. Was he intentionally trying to sabotage what he had right now? What would have happened if Dean had saw him staring at his chest when he walked out of his room? Would Dean allow him to stay in his house once he knew that Cas was lusting after him? Would he feel comfortable leaving his son with a man who had no control over his body? He had been told countless times that someone like him was unfit to raise children, but paid them no mind. He didn't think he could do the same if Dean said those words to him, if Dean told him he could never see Henry again. He was afraid of what would happen to his heart if that did happen.

Fear helped his push himself off the door. Fear helped him lift one foot after the other to get to his bed where he already had his clothes spread out--his black Parker & Max mid-tight boxer brief, plain white t-shirt and light-blue jeans. He tried to get his still erratic heart under control as he took off his towel to put it on his bedpost and to pick up his underwear. He did manage to slow it down a little as he pulled his shirt over his head. He couldn't lose what he had with Henry because of something trivial as this. (He chose to ignore the voice that sounded suspiciously like his sister that told him this wasn't something trivial, and he shouldn't regard it as such). He slowly breathed in and out as he put his legs through his pants legs.

His concentration was broken when he heard soft thuds behind him. A smile cracked his stony exterior as he felt warmth settle around his calm heart. Henry never fully grasped the concept of using his knuckles to knock on someone's door. He would rather use his entire fist to signal his arrival. Wasting no time, Cas quickly zipped and buttoned himself up.

He whirled around and trekked back to his bedroom door, possibly the only thing in this house he could claim as his. A gruff chuckle greeted the silent hallway after he opened his door. Henry was standing there in his Batman & Robin pajamas with his hair sticking out in all directions like weeds in an abandoned lot. His little prince had both his arms stretched out above his head with his eyes closed. Cas lifted him up and held him close. His knees almost gave out when they both sighed at the same time when Henry buried his face in his neck.

"Morning," Cas said, running his fingers through the hairs on the back of his head in hopes of straighten them. Henry didn't respond just rubbed his forehead deeper into Cas's neck, adding more heat to his already heated neck. "You shouldn't even be up right now."

"Sleepy," Henry mumbled. One set of tiny fingers curled around Cas's shirt collar while the other set settled on the back of Cas's neck.

"I know, sweetheart," Cas said as he stared to lightly sway on his feet. "Come on, let's get you back to bed."

"No!" Henry shouted and yanked at Cas's collar. Cas was too busy being choked by his collar to notice the nails digging into his neck. "Wanna stay with you."

"I have to make you muffins, remember?" Cas reminded him.

"Don't want--"he stopped to yawn, releasing a warm gust of air on Cas's neck, "--muffins. Want you."

Henry must have felt his heart rate tripled. How could he not considering how closely he held onto Cas? Cas really needed to keep himself under control because he couldn't jeopardize this. He could never slip up and have Dean realize he was attracted to him because he could never give this up. Give Henry up. The day he gave Henry up would be the day Henry no longer wanted him and he hoped to God that it wasn't anytime soon.

"Cas," Henry complained as he squirmed in place.

"Sorry, Henry," he apologized as he released Henry, not even aware that he practically tried to crush Henry to his chest.

"Sleepy," Henry repeated, causing Cas's eyebrows to join together. Henry already told him that. He didn't get why he needed to repeat it. "Wanna lie down," he mumbled.

"But you just told me you didn't want to go back to bed," Cas informed him, growing more confused by the minute.

"I wanna lie down with you," whined Henry.

"You can't," Cas said too quickly without thinking. Henry removed his face from his neck and locked gazes with him. His once tired eyes now filled with confusion and hurt. His heart ached for his little prince.

"Why not?" he asked in a tone that was on the verge of becoming a whine.

"Because..." Cas started to say but realizing that he really didn't have a sufficient answer to his question.

"We snuggle up all the time while watching TV," he whined this time, "and when you read to me." Cas wanted so badly to tell him that that was different. It was one thing to snuggle up when watching TV and an entirely different thing to snuggle up in bed. When snuggling up while watching TV or anywhere else, it felt like babysitting where he was obligated to stay awake and take care of the kid he was watching. He was given a task that he needed to accomplish. With the snuggling up in the bed, there still was the taking care of aspect, but the obligation wasn't there. He could fall asleep himself without having to worry too much. There was a lot more trust there. Trusting that even if he were to fall asleep, everything would be fine.

The thing with snuggling up in bed-to Cas at least--was that it was something one did with their family, and Cas wasn't family. As much as everyone else treated him like family, Cas wasn't family. He was still a complete stranger to them which was entirely his fault. He was to one who made a promise to himself that he was only going to focus on Henry to save himself from heartache. The only problem was he did get attached. He got attached but still remained a stranger to a group of people who welcomed him into their lives. He didn't deserve the privilege Henry was bestowing onto him. He wasn't family.

"Henry..." Cas started to say but trailed off when Henry started to get misty eyed. Cas felt as if someone reached into his chest and yanked his heart out. He had said that he never wanted to see him cry again, and now he was causing the very thing he was so strongly against.

"Just go back to bed, Cas," voice commanded from his left. Cas turned his head while Henry twisted his body to have a look.

"Dean," Cas quietly said while Henry shouted "Dad!" Dean was leaning against the stair railing with his arms crossed over his chest. He wasn't looking at Cas but at Henry.

"How long were standing there?" Cas asked. How in the world did he not notice him there?

"I got here just in time to see him walk out of his room, half asleep, to bang on your door," he answered, looking far too amused. He then pushed himself off the railing and walked toward them, not once taking his eyes off Henry. Casknew why it bothered him so much that Dean didn't look at him, but he wasn't going acknowledge it or give it steam. "What's with all the tears, buddy?" Dean asked as he reached out with one hand to caress Henry's cheek with his thumb.

"Cas said I couldn't snuggle up with him," he tattled. His smirking father removed his hand.

"Now, why would Cas say that?" Dean said in feigned confusion with the hand now on his hip. Dean was trying really hard not to smile. "He snuggled up with you on Friday."

"I don't know," Henry said with his little head tilt.

"Maybe he was worried I might be sad that you wanted to snuggle with him and not me?" Dean offered up as an explanation.

"Why?" Henry asked then turned to face Cas. "Daddy wouldn't be sad. Why would he?" Cas would have been amused by that if he wasn't so focused on the single tear that threatened to fall from Henry's left eye.

"He's right," Dean confirmed, finally looking at him. "You don't have to worry about me saying anything. If he wants to snuggle up with you, then it's fine by me." His two forest-green eye lit up with understanding and approval. Dean knew what Cas was thinking. This was Dean trusting him with the most important thing in his life. Maybe he wasn't such a stranger after all. 

"Okay," said Cas as he caught the little tear before it fell.

"Yeah?" Henry asked with hopeful look in his eyes. As if Cas could deny him now that he knew Dean was okay with it.

"Yeah," Cas confirmed then moved in to place a kiss on his forehead, eliciting a small giggle from him. He didn't need Mozart or Chopin. Henry's giggle was more than enough.

With one last fleeting look toward Dean--who had went back to staring at Henry-- Cas turned around and made his way back to his bed. Once there, Cas put Henry down, who scurried back until he was on kneeling on the bed staring expectantly at Cas. Cas heart almost burst when Henry patted the pillow in front of him. The chuckle from behind him told him Dean saw it but wasn't having the same reaction he was. How could someone's heart not burst when he or she saw that?

Cas hastily sat on his bed before Henry decided to vocalize his impatience. He swung his legs back onto his bed and rested his back on the pillow Henry dubbed as his. He laughed lowly when Henry lifted his arm over his head. After getting the arm behind him, with some help from Cas, Henry sprawled out over Cas. He had his head on Cas's chest with one hand holding Cas's t-shirt in a death grip. One of his legs was stretched out over both of Cas's. Henry sighed and closed his eyes when Cas used the arm behind him to pull him close. Cas was more than happy with not being able to go anywhere soon.

Henry rubbed his cheek on Cas's chest.

Yeah, he was more than happy with being trapped in his bed.

~~~★~~~

"I swear to God if she touches him one more time," Mary hissed under her breath as she stood outside the red-bricked church, St. Judith Apostolical Church. She was slowly seething on the inside as she watched the scene before her--as she watched Cas chat with Sarah Middleton.

Sarah Middleton was the aunt of one her student, Isabella Middleton. She had quite the reputation of sleeping around. Mary normally couldn't care less about what she did in her spare time, but she was having difficulty holding onto that opinion right now. And it was getting increasingly difficult to not care every time Sarah reached out to grab Cas's arm as she threw her head back to laugh, letting her straight black hair hang off her head and letting her dark lavender ruffle dress inch higher up her legs. Mary should really say thighs because the dress was already halfway up her thighs when she was standing straight up. She loudly laugh a laugh that anyone could tell was more for show than caused by actual humor. Maybe not anyone because Cas clearly didn't seem to notice how much effort she was putting into her laugh. Cas was smiling at Sarah like he would at anyone of them, with his eyes crinkled up and all of his teeth showing.

Mary ground her teeth when Sarah puffed up her chest as if she was taking a deep, and not like presenting what the good Lord gave her. She ground her teeth more when the presentation caught Cas's eyes. ' _Why her?_ ' Mary thought as she watched Cas. He wore black slacks that looked like they were tailored to his specific body type rather than something he picked up off a rack. He was wearing a dark lavender shirt--the thing that caught Sarah's eyes the minute he walked in--that if it had been any tighter would have been a second skin. To make things worst, he had it tucked in making his chest stand out more. His hair was a mess as always, and she reveled in the knowledge that Sarah had nothing to do with that. She didn't revel in the knowledge that Dean had to see Cas like this before he left the house.

"If your eyes were any hotter, you might actually burn a hole in her," a deep voice from behind said.

"If I'm lucky, she just might burst into flames," she retorted. And wouldn't that be a sight to see.

"Mary," John sighed as he stopped beside her. His black slacks were looser than Cas's, probably because they were picked off the rack. And his white dress shirt was far from being a second skin.

"I know Dean can never have him," she angrily said, "but her? Out of everyone, he had to pick her?" Maybe this was what bothered her so much. It wasn't that Cas was talking to Sarah, it was that he was talking to some girl while her son was pining over him. Mary sighed when she realized her anger and frustration was misguided. None of this was Cas's fault or Sarah's--she begrudgingly surmised--because they didn't do anything wrong. They didn't know how Dean felt, and if they did, it wouldn't change anything because Cas wasn't gay.

It was funny how a lot of people wished people they knew would stop being gay, and here she was, standing in front of her church wishing someone she knew would start being gay. She knew how wrong it was to wish that, but she couldn't help it. Was it too much to ask for her son find some form of happiness for himself? Hadn't she done enough good in her life to ask for this one thing? Hadn't her son suffered enough.

"If it makes you feel any better, Henry doesn't seem to like her that much either," John told her, causing her to actually focus on the little boy that was sitting on Cas's arm. The little boy that wore black jeans and a white dress shirt that was buttoned up when he got here but was now completely unbuttoned, showing off his white t-shirt underneath. She couldn't help but smirk when she saw Henry staring murderously at the hand Sarah still had on Cas. She used her hand to stifle her laugh when Henry beamed a smile the moment Sarah removed her hand. God, did she love that kid.

"What is she doing?" John questioned. Sarah was rummaging through her black wallet.

"No," Mary groaned when she pulled out a white pen with a black cap. "Great," she frustratingly said when Sarah grabbed Cas's hand to write what Mary suspected was her number on his palm. Cas's own bewilderment didn't temper her growing displeasure at the entire scene before her.

"Well," said a bemused John. She didn't get how he was so calm about this. Just because Dean couldn't have him didn't mean she didn't care about him. Because Cas could do so much better than Sarah Middleton.

Mary didn't really know how to feel when Cas walked toward them with a wide smile on his face while Henry stared at his hand. On one hand, she was saddened by the fact Cas was interested in Sarah, and on the other hand, she felt pride watching Henry frown at Cas's hand. Henry was looking at his hand as if Cas had stuck his hand in mud then refused to wash it once he removed his hand. She really didn't know what to feel when Henry tugged at Cas's arm, the one with the mud covered hand.

"Ready to go?" Cas asked as he handed Henry his hand.

"Yeah," John answered as Henry inspected Cas's palm. He inspected it for about two seconds before he gave up trying to deciphering what it said and held onto it instead.

"This was refreshing," Cas informed, quirking up the left side of his mouth. "It's been a while since I last stepped into a church," he admitted, clearing the dark cloud that had covered Mary's eyes. She was momentarily convinced that Cas was talking about Sarah. He should never talk about Sarah. 

"Really?" John asked. "Because you know?"

"Because I have a degree in Religious Studies?" Cas supplied as a possible answer to his question.

"Yeah," John laughed a low laugh.

"My dad was really religious," Cas told them, "but he always believed that prayer and worship should be a private thing which was why my siblings and I never went to church when we were little." He stopped and smile a small sad smile. Mary wanted to believe the smile was all because of his deceased father, but she couldn't help but feel that there was more to that smile. "As we got older, he did allow us to make our own choices about church, and we did. We all decided try it out once. Anna, Balthazar, Lucifer and Gabriel never went back to church or to religion. It became like a second home for Michael. And I mostly stuck with my Dad's view on church except for the rare occasions--like today--when I just felt like going."

"Interesting," John breathed out.

"Yeah," Cas shrugged then smirked which confused her, "and you're going to have to rub harder than that if you want to get it out."

What.

"What?" John vocalized her reaction, but she didn't need to know any longer because her answer had his head bowed. Her brunette haired answer had his head bowed with a bright red coloring his cheeks. He still had his fingers wrapped around Cas's fingers but his thumb was hidden behind Cas's hand. She did know how to feel this time. She felt like pulling him from Cas's arms to smother him in kisses. Hell, she might even take him home and make him his favorite pancakes.

"Henry has been trying to get the pen mark out since he grabbed onto my hand," Cas smirked, "and frankly he doing a bad job." Henry snapped his head up when he heard the comment to see a greatly amused Cas. Cas kissed the side of his head and mumbled into his hair, "You're going to need to apply more force, your majesty."

Mary could feel her confusion and bewilderment fight for control. She wanted to know what Cas was doing. He knew that Henry was trying to rub her number off--she enjoyed the spike of pride that ran through her when she acknowledged his action again--and he was okay with his attempt. Cas had seemed more that interested in Sarah before. ' _What is going on here?'_

"You're okay with what he is doing?" asked her confused husband.

"Yeah," Cas answered, "it will save me the trouble later on." Henry eyes turned into two wide pools of forest-green paint as he stared at ridiculously amused man in front of him. Mary was quite sure her eyes were their own pools of green as well, but the only difference was that her eyes threatened to spill over due to being deliriously overjoyed and relieved. Cas wasn't interested in Sarah. Cas had no interest in calling Sarah now or anytime in the foreseeable future.

"You're not mad?" her skeptical grandson asked.

"No," said Cas, "I didn't like her that much...not my type." Joy overtook the faces of those around Cas, making them all miss the slightly pained look that flashed across Cas's face. Henry was too overjoyed that Cas wasn't mad at him, and he could continue with his mission. John was felt joy for his wife's sake than for his own. Mary was overjoyed to know that her son didn't lose the man of his dreams to Sarah Middleton. Cas throaty laugh pulled the two older Winchesters from their thoughts. "You don't waste any time, do you?" Cas asked with a smile on his face, and the two Winchesters saw Henry studiously scrubbing Cas's palm with his thumb.

"You sure looked interested from what we saw," John told him. Cas didn't respond right away but kissed Henry's cheek instead, an action that won Cas a smile and more aggressive scrubbing.

"I was trying to be polite," Cas sheepishly said. "I didn't want to flat out tell her I wasn't interested in front of everybody else." Cas, Mary decided, was an angel in more than name. He was kind beyond comparison even to those he didn't even like. How he ended up in their lives was a miracle. "And then I tried to subtly inform her that I wasn't interested, and she didn't even noticed." Incredulity  was prevalent on his face. "I didn't even have time to react when she did that--" he jerked his head forward like a chicken would in the direction of the hand Henry was focusing on with hawk-like eyes.

"She caught the rest of off guard, too," John laughed.

"I tried getting away from her, but she just ignored me and went on talking," he said while shaking his head in disbelief.

"I didn't see that," John admitted, "it really looked like you were interested." Mary briefly wondered if Cas was good at masking his emotions and possibly harbored feelings for her son. She quickly discarded the thought when she realized she was only thinking like that because of wishful thinking. Cas probably did try to brush her off, and she and John missed it.

"Hmm?" mused Cas. "It looks like I wasn't convincing enough." Cas turned his gaze onto Henry who had finished cleaning Cas's hand and was now staring at it with a smug expression on his face. "I would have avoided talking to her altogether had I known how much Henry disliked her...he does dislike her, right?" Cas asked as he witnessed both her and John opened their mouths to refute his claim but said nothing.

"He never had a problem with her before," Mary answered him. "He even used to talk to her before." Mary's mind recalled the image of Henry saying 'hello' to her then the image of him unabashedly ignoring any attempts she made to get him to talk to her today. "I mean she wasn't his favorite person, but she certainly wasn't...hated." Now that Mary thought about it 'hate' might be an appropriate word to describe the contempt held in Henry's eyes when he looked at Sarah. She felt bad for not paying much attention to it earlier, having been so intently focused on Cas instead. But Henry really did not want her anywhere near him or Cas today.

"Maybe he's in a bad mood today," Cas unconvincingly suggested. "He was cranky when I woke him up earlier." A soft smile and a look of complete adoration took over Cas's face as he watched Henry put their palms together to measure his hand with Cas's. Mary didn't believe that, and she knew Cas didn't either. Henry was one big ball of unadulterated joy when he arrived with Cas, bragging about napping with Cas--something she thought was happening on a daily basis but was sadly mistaken.

"Maybe," Mary agreed while her mind searched for a plausible excuse, coming up with only one. The only excuse that made any sense to her was the one about Henry and Cas being attached to the hip--quite literal right now--and anything or anyone that jeopardized that was the enemy. She really couldn't blame him for not wanting anything to come between him and Cas. She knew another Winchester who would kill to have the man-no, angel standing in front of her.

"So, are you in a bad mood?" Cas asked with a kiss to his cheek. But Henry didn't respond. He just rested the side of his head on Cas's cheek, closed his eyes and sighed. It looked like she was correct,  and Henry didn't like anything coming in between him and Cas. She was almost terrified to think of what would happen when something did come between the two of them.

She was terrified of what would happen to her son.

~~~★~~~

Dean rolled up the sleeves of his navy blue sweatshirt as he made his way down the stairs. The weather lately had been a moody little bitch, going from extremely humid one day to Antarctica the next. He was really thinking of about taking out all of Henry's winter clothes back out just in case which would save him the trouble of having to frantically look for them when mother nature decided freeze their damn fingers off.

"Henry!" Dean called as he brushed his hand on his dark-blue jeans. "I'm leaving now!"

"We're in here, dad," Henry yelled back, and Dean wondered for a minute how he didn't notice the noise from the TV coming from the living room. With furrowed eyebrows, he walked into the living room.

Dean's heart constricted a little when he saw Cas and Henry together. Henry was lying on Cas stomach, facing the TV while Cas had his head turned toward the TV. Cas was wearing a deep-green slim fitted dress shirt that had white buttons that were buttoned up except for the last one. The sleeve were rolled up to his elbows and held in place by a strip of fabric on each sleeve that was buttoned over each of them. Cas was wearing the same dark-blue jeans as him except he had a brown belt on and his shirt was tucked in. Cas's jeans were fitted perfectly as usual while the front of Dean's was pushing out. Cas rubbed his thumb up and down Henry bright yellow t-shirt covered back as Dean willed his hormones down. He wasn't even going to bother getting angry anymore, just do his best to control himself.

After Dean gave his permission, Henry made it his mission to cuddle up with Cas at every conceivable moment. Seeing him now, Dean didn't regret his decision one bit. Henry had one hand fisted in Cas's shirt while the other stood just below his nose. He had one bare leg--he was just wearing his dark-red brief--stretched all the way out and ended between Cas's crossed legs--the right leg over the left. His other leg was stretched out in front of his body with its knee bent and his foot rubbing against Cas's stomach. It looked like Henry was trying to keep Cas in place for as long as possible. Dean thought it was endearing but completely unnecessary because Cas didn't look like a man who wanted to be anywhere else in the world with the warm smile he was wearing.

Dean couldn't say with absolute conviction that Cas didn't want to be anywhere else in the world all the time, but he could  say that for this moment right here. Dean knew how Cas felt about Henry, but he didn't know how Cas felt about the rest of them, but he was hoping that the fact that Cas was starting to open up to him meant that he was starting to get comfortable being around them all. And he didn't mind staying with them...him. Cas had no problem staying with HEnry. It was just Dean that he was distant from.

He was hoping that the little things he learned about Cas since Sunday meant they were on their way to becoming friend. (He was going to have to deal with the knife in his heart whenever he thought of Cas as a friend). Sunday Dean learned that Cas had an obsession with hamburgers when he bemoaned the fact that Dean's mom made hamburgers Saturday, and he only found out on Sunday. Dean promised himself that he would make him as many as Cas liked as soon as he could because that was what friends do for each other: they tried to make the other happy. Monday he learned that Cas couldn't people who chew too loudly when they were watching a Trident commercial. The fact was unexpected but more than welcomed. Yesterday he learned that Cas listened to more Classical music than anything. Dean almost threw him out when he said that he didn't really listen to Classic Rock music--almost. He also learned that Cas played the piano. Today he learned that Cas's favorite color was green. Dean had offhandedly mentioned he liked Cas's shirt, and Cas answered with green being his favorite color. Dean had bitten his tongue at the time to stop himself from blurting out that his favorite color was shifting toward midnight-blue. He simply went with red while Henry couldn't make up his mind.

"I thought you guys were in the kitchen," Dean informed them, and neither took their eyes off the TV screen. Dean turned his attention to the screen that seemed to have mesmerized his son and...friend? On the screen was an animated kid that looked to be twelve who had his brunette hair gelled and combed up making it seemed like he had flames on his head. He had huge light brown eyes with huge pupils. He had two small ears and a small pointed nose that was not as cute as Henry--he could be as bias as he liked. He was wearing a hood-less zip down jacket that had white sleeves and white across the top then red below that. The jacket had light-blue rings around the area where his armpits were, the neck and the bottom of the jacket. There were two light-blue slits that appeared to be his pockets. He had a red badge that had a white paw print on the jacket. "What are you watching?"

"Paw Patrol," Cas answered, and Dean whipped his head in Cas's direction to find him and Henry still looking at the screen.

"Paw what?"

"Paw Patrol, Dad," Henry answered this time, sounding so put out like Dean was so exasperating, and he was embarrassed by him.

"Oh," Dean said even though the name didn't explain anything.

"It's a show about this kid Ryder," Cas said, having clearly heard his confusion and taking pity on him.

"And Marshall, and Zuma, and Rubble, and Rocky, and Chase and Skye," Henry added.

"Who are six different types of dogs," Cas explained, and now he was beginning to understand the name a little.

"That help people," Henry finished.

"Now the name makes sense," Dean told them. "So, who are they saving today."

"The farm," Henry told him as he rubbed his cheek against Cas's chest.

"From what?"

"The bunnies. "

"The bunnies?" he skeptically asked.

"It's a carrot farm that has a bunny problem," Cas smirked.

"Original, " Dean snorted. "Are you guys going to watch TV the whole day?"

"No," Cas answered, "just until nine-thirty." Dean looked at his black Casio analog watch and saw it was only eight forty-four. "There's another episode after this," Cas told him, and Dean looked up to see his midnight blue eyes over the top of Henry's head. He tried not to let the shiver that wrecked through his body show.

Dean nodded to him then looked at Henry. "I'm leaving now. "

"Bye, Dad," Henry said and snuggled closer to Cas. Dean didn't know if Henry knew that he couldn't get any closer to Cas.

"That's it?" Dean incredulously asked, causing Cas to chuckle and, consequently, shaking Henry.

"Comfy," Henry sighed, and Dean's heart cracked a little. He couldn't possibly separate them now. As much as he disliked that he wouldn't get his hug or have Henry and Cas see him off, he couldn't ruin their bonding time.

"Okay," said Dean as he walked over to the two of them. He kneeled down on the floor and kissed Henry on the cheek while his eyes were closed thus missing how Cas tensed up. He didn't miss how much the desire to reach over a few inches and kiss Cas gripped him. He quickly got up before he did something stupid. "Bye, buddy," Dean said and was happy that his voice didn't come out stained.

"Bye, Daddy," Henry said, finally looking at him and beaming a smile.

"Be good for Cas," Dean instructed him as he always did, knowing that Henry would even if he didn't ask. Henry nodded his head and went back to watching his show. "Bye, Cas," Dean said, making sure he looked at him. He couldn't avoid looking at him any longer.

"Bye, Dean," Cas smiled. "Say 'hi' to everyone for me."

"Me, too," Henry cheerful said.

"Will do," Dean said as he twisted around to walk to the living room door.

Dean walked to the front door and grabbed his keys from the Winchester themed key holder and opened the door. He was immediately assaulted with a cold gust of wind. The weather shouldn't even be this cold ,considering how sunny it was outside. He would have to get out Henry's winter clothes today. Or he could ask Cas to do it for him? He could do that, right? Asking Cas to do that would be just like asking a friend for a favor. He realized that he was overthinking this. Cas would gladly do this for him if it concerned Henry. Why didn't that feel right to him?

He shook his head and pulled down his sleeves, stepping out into the cold air and closing the door behind him. It was no use dwelling on his feelings since they only frustrated him. As he was about to open his car door, the phone in his pocket vibrated. He pulled it out, and his eyebrows met his hairline when he saw a message from Cas. Weeks ago he would have panicked when he received a random text from Cas, but now he only felt calm, and he unlocked his phone to read the message.

_Cas: The mayor is stuck out at sea with her chicken. Her chicken. Who comes up with these shows?_

Dean threw his head back and bellowed a laugh: a laugh that drowned out the passing car, the wind that rustled through the newly sprouted leave and the loose shingles, the chirping blue jays, the barking dog, the two teenagers across the street who are gossiping about the guy in front of them and  the gravel his feet were crunching. Perhaps, Cas did see him as a friend after all.

_Dean: people who really need to get out more_

Dean's fingers froze after he sent the message. The sounds from all around him assaulting him all at once. But none of them could distract him for one single word that finally caught up to him. Friend. Cas was starting to see him as a friend. He was getting what he wanted, but why did he want to scream? Having Cas see him as a friend was the goal, wasn't it? If Cas was his friend then he would stick around for his mom and son. If Cas was a friend, he would never get involved with him, and Cas would be safe from Dean ruining him. Why did it feel as if the cold air was suffocating him rather than freezing his weary bones? Why did it feel as if the wind was trying to get at his already damaged soul?

~~~★~~~

"Here we go," Cas said as he presented the purple hand towel to Henry. He felt a spike of fear when Henry dubiously looked at the hand towel. He had scoured through every inch of this house trying to find something Henry could use for his cape. Everything he had picked out so far had been viciously struck down by Henry. They were running out of time. Cas wanted to take him to see his dad before his lunch break was over.

"Okay," Henry said, smiling at him.

"Okay?" Cas asked, needing to know for sure before he let his relief wash over him.

"Yeah," Henry said as he nodded his head.

"Okay," Cas said as he kneeled down in front of Henry. He was going to account the fact that he was able to do that on his relief weighing him down and not gravity. Henry could really be indecisive when he wanted to be.

Cas swung the hand towel over Henry's head and let it fall down his back. He felt satisfied when the towel when about two inches below his knees. He transferred the end he held onto with his right hand to his left hand, so he could look through his pants pocket. After a second or two, Cas pulled out what he was looking for. In Cas's palm was a silver Pegasus pin, which was actually white gold, but no-one needed to know that, especially not Henry. The pin was the size of his palm. The Pegasus was standing on it hind legs. One of the front legs was straight out while the other one was bent toward the body of the Pegasus. The wings were merged together but appeared as two wings with one overlapping the other forming a 'V'-shape with their tips. They wings came out through the side of the Pegasus rather than its back. The head was bent downward in the direction of the bent leg that overlapped the one that was straight out. The mane started above the eyes and went all the way back to merge with the wings. The mane looked like a mess of hair that was wet then lathered up in to bundles with shampoo. The tail was the same but looked like a stalk of corn that had all its leaves clumped together.

"Wow," Henry breathe out and reached out to touch the pin but stopped at the last minute.

"My dad gave this to me," Cas said as he brought the pin up to Henry still outstretched hand.

"Really?" Henry asked in wonder and finally touched the pin. Cas watched as he ran his fingers over the mane then slowly stroked the wings like they were made of glass and too much pressure could cause it to shatter.

"Yeah," Cas affirmed. "My grandpa gave it to my dad and then he gave it to me." Henry didn't need to know that his dad gave it to him as an apology for how he treated him. The reason wouldn't matter to Henry right, considering how much Henry was captivated by the pin. He was admiring it like he would a toy he saw on display in a toy shop. Cas let him admire the pin for a few more seconds before he said, "Come on, let's pin up your cape."

"Okay," Henry said, not taking his eyes or fingers off the pin, causing Cas to chuckle. Cas pulled his hand back and smiled when Henry whined and glared at him. He transferred one end of the towel back to his right hand and pulled them closer to the center of Henry's chest and overlapped them. Using his left thumb, he pressed the two ends against Henry's chest while he opened the pin. Once opened, he snaked his left fingers under the neck of Henry's light-gray t-shirt until his fingers and thumb were pressed together through the towel and t-shirt. Cas then pinned the t-shirt and the two ends of the towel together then removed his hand. He wanted the pin to be by his chest area so that the wings didn't bore into his neck or chin.

"There you go," Cas announced as he fixed the towel so that it went over Henry's shoulders. When he looked down at the pin, he felt a pang of sorrow when he remembered what his dad told him when he gave him the pin: how he hoped that Cas would one day have kids of his own, so he could pass it down to one of them. How he wished he was giving it to Henry instead of lending it to him. "All ready," he said, trying with all his might to keep the sadness that crushed his heart from entering his voice.

"Yeah," Henry answered even though his last statement wasn't a question. Henry smiled at him with all his teeth and crinkled up his eyes similarly to how people described his smile. Sadness squeezed his heart harder causing him more pain than he knew was possible.

"Let's go see your dad," Cas told him.

"Cas?" Henry said in a small voice, stopping Cas from getting to his feet.

"Yes, Henry?"

"Do you like my dad?" he shyly asked. He looked like someone who had introduced a new friend to his old friends and was now trying to see if they liked the new friend.

Now faced with the actual question, Cas didn't know how to answer. How would he answer the three-year-old? He could just list all the things he liked about Dean. He liked how Dean' brunette hair shone golden in the sun like someone dipped their hand in gold paint then ran their fingers through his hair. He liked how insanely forest-green his eyes were, and how he felt like he was staring into a wide open forest instead of two small round spheres. Maybe Dean's soul was a forest, not the fragments of a broken man, but a forest that was trying to regrow itself after a hurricane. He liked how Dean never cleanly shaved his face and always left a stubble on his face. He liked how pink and small his lips were.

He liked how stern Dean could look but was a complete child on the inside. Dean could strike fear in anyone then turn around and watch Garfield episodes with his son. He liked how Dean could make fun of Charlie and Jo then, when they weren't looking, look at them with so much love like he didn't know what he would do if they weren't in his life. He liked how fiercely protective Dean was of his little brother. How he was even willing to fight some guy, when they went drinking last week, because the guy had called Sam an asshole who thought too highly of himself because he was lawyer. He liked how his eyes shone whenever his mom walked in the room.

He liked how utterly devoted Dean was to Henry. He liked how Dean could come home some days and look like he was about to drop right then and there but still found the energy to play with Henry. He willing let himself be dragged everywhere by Henry because he couldn't think of anything better than seeing his son smile. He liked how Dean would collapse with Henry in front on the TV and hold onto him like he never wanted to let him go or thinking he was stupid for even leaving him in the first place. He liked how Dean would sometimes fall asleep on the couch and how his lips would twitch every so often.

He liked how Dean would let go of all his worries whenever he had all his family together. He liked how Dean could laugh with them as if he had no troubles. He liked how Dean could be dying inside while watching his family be happy with their partners but would never wish them any ill will because he knew what it felt like to have no-one and wouldn't wish that on anyone. He liked how Dean welcomed a complete stranger into his house and trusted the stranger with his son.

If Cas was honest with himself when he went over this list, he would tell Henry that he didn't like Dean. He loved Dean. He loved how loyal and devoted he was to those he cared about. He loved the selfless man he was, something that people would never classified him as because they only wanted to see what they wanted. They wanted to see a broken man, and they wanted to see him fail. Even though he agreed that Dean was broken--and who could blame him after what happened to him--Cas loved him anyway. He loved that even though he was broken, he never let that affect how much he loved his family. He tried his hardest to never let it affect them in anyway possible. He went on with his life for the sake of his son and family, and he proved those who wanted him to fail wrong. And he, Castiel James Novak, loved him because of it.

"Yeah," Cas lied, "I like your dad."

~~~★~~~

"So, how are you holding up?" Charlie asked as she took a bite of her fries.

"What do you mean?" Dean asked the redhead who decided to tie her hair up in a ponytail today. He reached over and stole a fry from the plate she had on her desk. His white plate that once had a pile of fries and Angus burger was now empty while Charlie's still had a piles of fries.

"How are you holding up with Cas?" she glared at him. Her glare would have normally be effective, but he still couldn't get over the fact that she owned a pink 'Hello Kitty' t-shirt.

"Can we not talk about that here?" he hissed under his breath.

"Why haven't you told them anything?" she asked, confused.

"Because there is nothing to talk about, Charlie," Dean told her, feeling his irritation rising up. "I already told you, I will tell them when they need to know, and right now, they don't need to know."

"Sorry," she suddenly said. "It just...it would be so much easier to deal with if you had more people to support you." Big sorrow filled pine-green eyes stared at him.

"I'm dealing with it fine, Charlie," he informed her. "I get that you care, and I love you for it, but this is something that I'm just going to have to deal with until I get over it." Dean just wished it was soon before he slipped out and ruin things for his son and mom. "It would have been better if Henry never met him." The minute those words left his mouth, he felt the room spinning and the fry he just swallow trying to make its way back up. His heart went off like a freaking sewing machine, and his body was trying to sweat out all the water he just drank. "What the fuck is wrong with me?" Dean angrily yelled then cringed when he remembered that his dad, Bobby, Benny, and Ash were in the workshop.

"Dean," Charlie mournfully said.

"What the fuck is wrong with me?" he brokenly whispered. The anger he felt before now replaced with shame that threatened to devour him. "I just fucking wished that my son didn't meet the one person he loves as much as mom and me." His two elbows rested on the desk so he could his palms to hide his shame ridden face.

"Dean," Charlie whispered, and he felt her card her fingers through the hairs on top of his head. She was gently doing it while she rubbed the tips of her fingers on his scalp. He loved that she was trying to comfort him, but the action was too reminiscent of Cas. He groaned and separated his palms for his face. "Nothing's wrong with you, Dean" Charlie sternly told him, and he briefly wondered if the red in her hair could bleed into her eyes.

"I'm not so sure," he retorted, making sure he didn't raise his voice. 

"You're just frustrated," she tried to reason with him, and he just snorted. She didn't even know the half of it. "We both know that you were angry and didn't mean to say any of that."

He glared at her. Of course, he didn't mean to say any of that, but it still came out of his mouth. Those words came from somewhere inside of him. Some vile part of him must have wished that was true. Bile rose up when he thought about how fucked up this was. He wanted to deny his son some happiness because he couldn't deal with a little heartache. He couldn't help but think that it was a good thing that Cas didn't love him. Cas didn't deserve a monster like him.

"Yeah," he agreed with Charlie while he was drowning in a sea of self-hatred.

"Dean," Charlie sighed as she sagged in her chair, and he knew she knew that he was putting himself down, but he had a good reason to this time. "Dean stop-Cas!" Her face went from indignation to utter surprise. Dean whipped around in the chair to see Cas standing by the door. He had on the same clothes but his hair was messier than normal--he didn't think it was possible, but it was. He was smiling widely at the two of them.

"Where's Henry?!" he shouted, and Cas exasperatedly rolled his eyes at him. It wasn't after he yelled at Cas that he saw the dark-green sweater he had on his hand--a dark-green sweater that could only fit a certain three-year-old.

"Ahem," Cas cleared his throat and stood up straight like the soldier Dean compared him to a week or so ago. Cas held his head up high in a dignified way and loudly said, "All rise for his majesty, Prince Henry of Lawrence." Henry walked out from Cas with his head held high. He was wearing his light gray t-shirt and his black jean with his black and with batman sneakers. He had a purple hand towel on as a cape that was pinned to his shirt with what appeared to be a horse with wings. On his head was a purple cardboard crown that had circles on top a spikes that when in a pattern--one large spike with a large circle on top of it followed by a smaller spike with a smaller circle on top of it. On each circle was a smaller circle that was colored in gold. Under the each spike was a diamond shape, also in gold, followed by a small circle between them. In his hand was a cardboard long sword that was made of silver cardboard paper. The hilt was made of black cardboard with a gold circle at the end of it.

Charlie roared a laugh from behind him, and Dean turned around to see her clutching her stomach while standing.

"Aunty Charlie," Henry whined, and Dean turned back to see his pout-y face with his hands on his hips. God, was he adorable.

"I'm so sorry, your majesty," She wheezed from behind him. "I was just too overcome with joy that his greatness would grace us with his presence." The praise got him to remove his hands from his hip and grin widely at her.

"Ahem," Cas said while looking seriously at Dean. It didn't take him long to figure out what Cas was trying to convey to him.

Rolling his own eyes, Dean stood up then bowed. "Your majesty." He looked up in time to see a giggling Henry run up to him. He lifted Henry up as soon as Henry got to him and situated him so that they were facing each other.

"You like it?" Henry shyly asked.

"Yeah," Dean said, leaning forward to kiss his right cheek.

"Cas made it for me!" he cheerfully informed Dean. "And he let me borrow this!" Henry lifted up the pin on his chest which Dean now realized was a Pegasus. A silver Pegasus that was standing on its hind legs, its head bowed, wings coming out of sides instead of its back, and a mane and tail that looked more like human hair than horsehair because of how thick it was, and how many clusters it had.

"That was really nice of him," Dean remarked while his heart skipped a beat when his son grinned wider at him. Dean couldn't help think he was happier about something else and not the fact that Dean liked his costume. Dean batted the thought away when he figured out he was overthinking things.

"Well, he did a fantastic job," Charlie praised, and Dean could hear her walking. Just like he predicted, she came to stand right beside him, so she could get a better look at Henry.

"Thanks, Charlie." Dean heard with another set of footsteps. "It was no easy feat trying to keep it a secret, especially when he practically follows you around everywhere." Dean didn't need to tear his eyes away from his ecstatic son to know Cas was smiling. He could practically hear it from all the way here.

"Oh, I know," Charlie assured him. "When he finally started walking, Dean couldn't even go to the bathroom without Henry following him."

"Aunty Charlie!" Henry whined and snapped his head to the side to glare at her.

"That must have been cute," Cas commented as he came to a stop in front of Charlie. Henry continued to glare at Charlie, who paid him no heed, and didn't comment on being called cute as Dean expected.

"He was a cute baby-still is," She told him.

"Aunty Charlie!"

"It's true," She defended her previous comment, finally looking at him. Dean was pretty sure if Henry held on tighter to his black overalls, he was going to have scar marks later on. "Must have took you a while to finish it?" Charlie asked, facing Cas again.

"It took more time finding time to make the crown and sword," Cas admitted with a smile.

"I'm sure," she said now smiling indulgently at Henry. "Where did you get the..." she trailed off with widened eyes. "Is that white gold?" she near shrieked. From the groan they got, Dean could assume it was.

"How did you know?" Cas asked.

"Dad was a jeweler," She answered, and something occurred to Dean. Cas let his son play with an expensive piece of jewelry. The pin was the size of his palm, and if it was made of gold then it must have been expensive.

"That's an interesting job," Cas remarked as Dean felt his stomach contract. Cas shouldn't have trusted Henry with something like that.

"Yeah," she agreed. "Where did you get it from?"

Dean saw Cas shift uncomfortably on his feet while he inwardly debated whether he should tell them or not. Cas finally sighed and said, "My dad gave it to me when I was ten." Dean felt his shame build up again. Not only was the pin expensive, it was also a gift from Cas's dead father. And Cas lent it to Henry just to make him happy. How could he fucking wish that Henry never met this man?

"Pretty expensive gift," Charlie pointed out as Cas smiled at Henry, who grinned back at him. How could he had wished that this man not be part of his son's life?

"It actually was a present from his dad," Cas replied, not taking his eyes off of Henry. It was for the best that Cas wasn't looking at him. He didn't want to deal with Cas looking at him right now.

"Whoa. So, it's like a family heirloom?" Charlie asked with widened eyes.

"I guess you could say it is," Cas mused with a tilt of his head. "It's not as old as most heirloom, but it is as treasured as all of them, and my dad did say that I should pass it down." Cas then snorted with a half-smile on his face. "Demanded was more like it." Dean's heart went off like a paddle-ball after hearing that. Dean's mind jumped to the image of Cas being older with silver mixing in with his dark hair and face crinkled up so it looked like he was always smiling as he placed a gold Pegasus in the palm of someone who looked a hell of a lot like an older version of DEan. Want so fierce gripped his heart and once again the room felt like it was spinning. Dean knew that he wanted Cas in Henry's for as long as possible, but he truly didn't realize how much. He wasn't even dating the guy and an enormous part of him wanted Cas bound to him and Henry in every way possible. He aggressively wanted Henry to be the person Cas gave the pin to, and not as a loan.

"How come?" Charlie laughed, wrenching him from the dangerous route his thoughts were going.

"He figured that out of all his kids, I would be the one most likely to have kids," he said with a lopsided smile. Dean felt as if someone separated his ribcage to rip his beating heart out and squeezed it right in front of his face. Why would Cas give it to a child that wasn't his own? Cas was the very last person in existence that wouldn't want kids of his own. Cas's father knew that, and Dean was entertaining the absurd thought that Cas would give the pin to Henry, a child that wasn't his own. He didn't get why he always did this: open his heart to people he could never have.

"Dad," said a squirming Henry, breaking Dean from his inner turmoil. "I wanna go play with my sword."

"Okay," Dean said with a strangely dry throat. Dean put him down, and he ran to the center of the room, slashing at nothing on his way there.

"What you got there?" Charlie asked and for the first time Dean noticed that Cas hand something in his hand. He really shouldn't be criticized for not noticing it earlier since Henry's sweater was covering his hand.

"Oh," Cas said surprised as he pulled back the sweater back to fully show one of Dean's medium size, square tupperwear bowl with a blue cover. "I made caramel and brought you guys some," Cas said, handing the bowl to Charlie. The only response Cas got was an open mouth and two large pine-forest eyes.

"You made caramel?" asked a disbelieving Charlie.

"Yeah," Cas answered with a twitch if the left side of his mouth. "Henry wanted caramel apples, and I thought it would better to make a lot and share it with you all," he added with a shrug, "except Dean only had four apples--which I'm still confused about considering the amount of apple pies they consume--hence caramel, not caramel apples. Also, I have a feeling that Henry wouldn't want to share."

"Why?" Charlie chuckled.

The angel shrugged while trying so very hard not to burst out laughing. Still trying to compose himself, Cas walked off and stood beside Charlie. "Henry," Cas called, and Dean had a moment to wonder how he didn't notice that his son was standing on the waiting room table, his side to them with his sword pointing straight ahead of him.

"Yeah?" Henry said, turning his head to face Cas.

"Charlie wants to know about your caramel apples," Cas replied with enough humor in his voice to fill up the white walls of the room.

Henry grinned widely again like he had been doing since he got here and twisted his body, so he was fully facing Cas now and jumped off the table. Dean made an abrupt move forward and noticed out of the corner of his eye Cas did the same. "They're my spoils of war!" Henry proudly proclaimed with his head held high and his hand on his hips.

A shrill laugh erupted from beside him followed by a low gravelly one that added the heat that the wind outside had sucked out of him.

"I'm curious as to where he got that from," Cas breathlessly teased.

"Tolkien," Charlie answered through a sharp intake of breath.

Cas chuckled then stopped in one quick move. "Wait, you let him watch Lord of the Rings?"

"No!" Charlie just as quickly answered. "God, no. We just talk about it a lot in front of him along with other things."

"Okay," Cas said as he released the breath he had used to power his chuckle. "You can go back to playing, Henry," Cas told him, and he nodded his head, turned around and made a move to climb onto the table again.

"Careful," Dean and Cas said at the same time, and two wide forest-green eyes met the night sky.

"I guess he couldn't wait until Saturday," Charlie piped up saying and just like that the night sky was gone. If it wouldn't give anything away, Dean would have pulled Charlie into a bone crushing hug.

"Saturday?" the confused angel asked, pulling his eyebrows together. Dean didn't know he could go from wanting to crush someone with affection to just wanting to crush him or her so quickly.

"The county fair?" Charlie hazardously answered. "Didn't Dean tell you?"

"No," Cas replied calmly as ever, "he didn't."

"I forgot," Dean said, not looking at him but at Henry to make sure he didn't hear them. He was pretty sure he son would have killed him for not telling him the fair was this Saturday. Luckily, Henry wasn't paying attention to them, too buys brandishing his sword from left to right like he was swatting flies, not fighting a war.

"Oh," Cas said. "That's understandable with you being busy and all."

"True," Charlie interjected, "and lucky us finally got a slow day today." And Dean was back to wanting to crush her with affection again. He had one hell of a hard time explaining to them that he lied to Cas saying that they were busy. None of them got why he lied in the first place. How did him not sleeping that well involved him lying? Dean was forced to play his trump card--something he still wasn't proud of. He told them that he lied because he didn't want to worry Henry. They all got it after that and his dad and Charlie saw the lie for what it really was: an excuse for Cas not to worry because Kali was right, Cas couldn't help but take care of others.

"Another week and a half to go and then you all will be free," Cas said in a hopeful tone.

"Yeah," Charlie said from behind with a tight smile, and all Dean wanted to do was pull his hair out. What the hell was he going to do? He could just lie? He could lie again and say it was one of those years where they got more customers than usual? Yeah, he could do that.

"So, why don't we take this--" he tapped the bowl "--to the others while Dean and Henry have their little father-and-son bonding time."

"But I want caramel," Dean petulantly said.

"I have more at home," Cas said, and Dean's heart melted at the last word, "and I'm pretty sure Henry wouldn't mind sharing his 'spoils of war' with you." Dean's heart melted a little more at the smirk he was wearing.

"Come on," Charlie laughed and looped her arm around Cas's, "Let's go say hi to everyone." She then promptly dragged him through the door to the workshop. Dean turned his attention back to his son who was no longer on the table but on the floor attempting to draw something with his sword.

"What are you drawing there, buddy?" Dean asked.

"My crest!" he happily shouted while still continuing to draw with his sword. ' _How does he even know what he is drawing?_ ' Dean wondered. When he was finished, he looked up and smiled at Dean. And just like that the smile was gone and replaced with panic like a child that lost his parent in a crowd. "Where's Cas?" he shrieked. Dean felt a stab to his heart when he realized the comparison wasn't one at all. Henry pretty much acted as if Cas was his father--his other father. Dear, Mahal. 

"He's out back," Dean answered him as he walked up to him and almost missed a step when Henry deflated and opened his arms. God, how he wished he could tell Henry that Cas would never leave him, but there were so many things that could happen. Cas wasn't a constant in their lives. He was the blue-eyed angel that decided to roost in their lives for the time being.

Dean picked him up, not even caring that he was getting motor oil on his clothes. Cas had yet to complain about it. Cas could have complained for all he knew, but being the stoic angel that he was, he kept it to himself. Dean was going to have to make sure that the angel would want to come back and roost at their house as often as possible.

Henry wrapped his arms around Dean's neck and pressed his face into the space between Dean's neck and shoulder. Henry sighed, and Dean felt himself warm all over. "Hey, Dad?" Henry said into Dean's neck.

"Yeah, buddy?" Dean inquired as he hugged him a tad tighter.

"Do you like Cas?" He questioned and the squeeze he got from Dean wasn't intentional. Why did Henry need to ask that now? Why did he have to say that and bring up things that Dean was trying to push down? He wasn't doing a very good job of it, but he was doing something.

The answer to Henry's question was a 'no.' Dean didn't like Cas. There was nothing to like about Cas. Cas didn't aspire like in anyone. He aspired love. But Dean couldn't tell Henry that. He couldn't tell Henry that he didn't like Cas or even the things he didn't like about Cas. He couldn't even tell Henry that he didn't like how Cas's hair was always messy like he was always running his fingers through it. He didn't like how he wanted to be the person to run his fingers through Cas's hair instead. He didn't like how blue Cas's eyes. He didn't like how they reminded him of the night sky, the same night sky he hoped to show Henry one day when he took him camping like what his dad used to do with him when he was younger, camping trips that grew to include Sam when he was older then anyone else from his family who was interested.

He didn't like how Cas smiled with his whole face. He didn't like how Cas always had to show his teeth. He didn't like how Cas's face crinkled completely destroying his perfectly stony face. He didn't like how chapped Cas's lips always were like he stuck his head in the freezer everyday to make sure they were chapped. He didn't like how he wanted to press his lips to Cas's, so he could give them the heat they were starved of. He didn't like how Cas's laugh filled up his house, how greedy his walls were for Cas laugh.

He didn't like Cas's humming. He didn't like how Cas would hum to his son to get Henry to fall asleep whenever he didn't want to be read to. He didn't like how Cas's humming made not only Henry feel safe and calm, but him as well. He didn't like how that after the night Henry had a nightmare, Cas would be heard humming at random times during the day while he did random things, whether it was cooking or flipping through the channels.

He didn't like how Cas never did something because he was asked to do it but because he wanted to. He didn't like that Cas took it upon himself to cook all their food and made sure he cook things he knew Dean and Henry would like. He didn't like that Cas did all the household chores, so he could have time to play with Henry and not have to worry about anything. He didn't like that Cas made sure he had everything he needed for work the next day, and Henry had something to do that day.

What he downright didn't like was how Cas never complained. Cas never once complained about doing the housework. He never once complained about Dean coming home and adding to his work load with oil stained shirts. He didn't complained not once when Henry used him as his potable teddy bear--hanging onto Cas everywhere he went, even when he was cooking. Not even complaining when his bones did. He didn't like that Cas not once complained about his family popping out of nowhere. He went as far as encouraging Dean's mom. He didn't like that Cas got his mom to cook as much as she used to. He didn't like that Cas never once complained about her showing up, he just smiled and ate whatever she put in front of him.

He undoubtedly didn't like how much Cas loved his son. How much it looked like Cas couldn't imagine his life without Henry. How Cas would hold onto Henry just as tight as Henry was. He didn't like how he went back on Sunday to check on Cas and Henry and found Cas curled around Henry with his back to the door like he was protecting him from anything that could possibly come through the door. He didn't like Cas making him think that he would consider Henry his son and give him that pin.

He couldn't tell Henry any of that. He couldn't tell him that he didn't like Cas, because he didn't like Cas. He loved Cas. He, Dean Nathaniel Winchester, loved Castiel James Novak.

"Yeah," he lied, pulling his son closer, "I like Cas."

~~~★~~~

"Da--d," Henry whined from his seat on Cas's arm while said man smirked at him. Said man was also wearing a knitted black turtleneck sweater that wasn't a regular turtleneck. The ridged neck was cut down in a way than made a V-shape at the neck where the left piece over lapped the right and buttoned over it. There were two centimeter wide ridges that ran straight down the middle, under the overlapping neck and from his shoulder down to where the smaller ridges wrapped around his waist. smaller ridges that also wrapped around his wrist.

For Dean's own sanity and for his dick's sanity, Cas should never wear black ever again. Cas should avoid wearing anything that could be regarded as a second skin. If Cas was really the angel he knew him to be, then he wouldn't ever comb his hair to the side. Dean thought sex hair was a problem, but nothing compared to how neat and perfectly combed Cas's hair was--the stair Dean almost missed this morning could attest to it.

Dean shifted his attention to his sullen son before his southern section decided to make its presence known. Popping a boner in a crowed fair was not classy at all. And he was going to need to have some form of decorum if he was going to be friends with Cas. And he was going to need a liquor store to ignore how much that hurt. Henry had on black jeans, the second pair of jeans that he put on today because he wanted to match with Cas, and a plain red hoodie that hid the white t-shirt he wore underneath. Dean nearly doubled over in laughter this morning when Henry wanted his hair combed the same style as Cas.

"Calm down, Henry," he instructed. "We're trying to decide who was going to go first," Dean explained as he turned to face the stall. While walking through the mass of people, Henry spotted a stuffed panda that he wanted with a passion that could rival Dean's obsession with pie. The game was simple; all they had to do was hit one of these yellow cardboard ducks--at least he thought they were cardboard--with red and white bulls-eyes on them with one of these suction cup arrows. Simple enough. The problem came when they started moving, alternating between moving up and down or side to side.

Of course the smug, chubby, gray-haired man in front of them knew what he was doing. Lure unsuspecting prey in with a false sense of security, then trap their kids in frenzy of want. The twinkle in his eyes when he saw Henry told him that he had won his day's meal. Dean really wanted to punch him right now, but he was trying to act classy, and punching and elderly man with a gray cardigan on was far from classy.

"I'll go first," his blue jeans, gray hoodie wearing giant of a brother sighed, walking up to the stall and handed the man five dollars--five damn dollars to hit a damn duck with a damn arrow. Neither noticing Cas opening his mouth then shutting it.

"Thank you, sir," the chipper old man replied, handing Sam the black wooden bow with a single white arrow with a black suction cup at the end. Archery had lost all respects in Dean's eyes.

"No, thank you," Sam said dryly, taking the bow and arrow from him. Dean barely refrained from kissing his brother right then and there. Sam positioned himself in front of those infernal ducks, strung the bow, took aim, and fired...and missed. The duck he aimed at ducked--Dean snickered in his head--at the last minute causing the arrow to slightly grazed the top of its head. His giant of a brother lowered his bow and growled in the back of his throat. Dean could feel his own growl clawing at his throat.

"Gimme that," Dean growled out, stalking up to his brother and stretching his arm out.

"Dean..." Dean heard Cas start to say but trailed off when he snatched the bow from Sam and snatched the arrow from the smirking man before him. He wouldn't be smirking for long if Dean had anything to do about it.

"Pay the man, Sammy," Dean commanded as strung the bow, ignoring the sigh Cas let out. If his son wanted that panda then he was going to get it. He ignored the voice that told him that he wanted to impress Cas as much as he wanted to please his son.

Sam groaned but nonetheless fished his brown wallet out of his pocket nonetheless then, handed the five dollar bill to weasel in front of them. It did occur to him that it was just a game, but he was a Winchester and there was no such thing as just a game. Whether it was cards or tag, a Winchester aimed to win.

Dean took aim at one of the ducks at the end of the row, figuring the aim was deceive someone into focusing in the center ducks instead of the ones to the side. Dean, feeling full of himself, smirked, fired and hit...the beak. He hit the fucking beak. The beak was nowhere near the body of the duck. "Fuck," he loudly and quite angrily swore, earning him three resigned 'Deans' from behind him--from Jess, his mom and Cas. Why was it that he was the only one that got reprimanded? Sam and his dad swore as well.

"Give it here," his Dad said as Dean was trying to fish out his wallet, but failing. He turned with one hand in his pocket and the other hand squeezing the life of the bow to see his dad approaching him with a determined look on his face like he was going in for the kill. He looked everything like the fierce warrior that Dean knew him to be--dressed in a black and blue checkered shirt that wasn't buttoned up with a dark blue t-shirt under it that wasn't tucked into the black jeans. What was with everyone wearing black today?

"Dean," he heard Cas say again, but paid him no heed. He wasn't sure if it was because of the shadow that overcame his father's face despite how sunny it was that held his attention, or it was his embarrassment at failing that prevented him from seeking Cas's face. Dean handed his father the bow and once again ignored the sigh Cas let out. Part of him told him he should really see what Cas wanted, but pride kept him in place. Or was it fear?

His dad forcefully took the bow from Dean and slapped a five dollar bill in the vendor's hand when he handed his father the bow. His dad stood up straight, strung his arrow, and fired in one swift move. The arrow shot out straight in front of him, and Dean was sure that no-one blinked. No-one blinked as the arrow cut through the air and missed the duck by a good foot.

"Jesus fucking Christ!" he swore and almost threw the bow on the floor but stopped himself.

Dean glared when the old man snickered. "It's a hard game," he shrugged, and if Sam's hand wasn't on his shoulder...he didn't know what would have happened but it wouldn't have been pretty.

"Hand me the damn arrow," his dad gritted out.

"No," his mom sternly said, and his dad's shoulders sagged. He possibly wasn't that much of a fierce warrior as Dean thought.

"Nana!" Henry cried, thinking that the game was being put to a stop. The game was far from over.

"It's Cas's turn," she calmly answered, no trace of the woman that stopped her husband or stopped her eldest son from strangling the man in front of him.

Dean, Sam, and his dad swirled around just in time to see Cas mouth 'thank you' to blonde haired woman in dark blue jeans and a knitted bright red sweater and shared a smile with the other blonde standing next to her in her own dark blue jeans and a bright blue hoddie with the word 'Stanford' printed on it in white. Both women decided to let their dirty blonde hair out.

Cas started walking toward him with a warm smile on his face, while Dean was having trouble conveying to his legs they were supposed to remain straight. When Cas got to him, he handed over Henry, who happily went to Dean without a word of protest--obviously happy that they were still trying to get his bloody panda. Cas then looked at his dad, who seemed to be having a hard time letting go of the bow but handed Cas the bow in the end. Cas handed the vendor the five dollar bill that Dean didn't notice he had and took the arrow. Dean should have let him try earlier.

"Thank you," Cas said with a smile, the faced the bane of the Winchesters' existence: those damn ducks. He strung his arrow, much like the rest of them and aimed for the center duck. Cas drew in a deep breath, released it and then baffled them all by turning to the duck next to the center on and fired.

Pop.

They all stood there as the watched the arrow go up and down and side to side, covering the bulls-eye.

"Yay!" Henry cheered and clapped his hand, snapping Dean out of his staring.

"The panda, please," Cas said, handing the bow back to the man with wide light-brown eyes and an opened mouth. Dean was surprised that his mouth mouth wasn't handing down. He couldn't say the same for his dad and brother. "Ahem," Cas said when the vendor stared at him and made no move to him his price.

"Sorry, sonny," he said, shaking his head as if to clear his head. He could shake his head all he liked, Dean doubted it would do him much good. Dean himself was having a hard time wrapping his mind around the fact that Cas hit the bulls-eye on his first try and made it seemed so effortlessly.

"The panda," Cas repeated still smiling as if nothing significant had just occurred.

"Right," he jumped up saying and turned around and made his way over to the shelf on the left side that had the stuffed panda. "Here you go, sir," the vendor said, still looking at Cas with a mix of wonder and shock, as he handed over the stuffed panda.

"Thank you," Cas said in an amused tone and whirled to the side to face Dean and Henry who couldn't seem to sit still, bouncing in place and making grabby hands at Cas. "Here you go, your majesty." Henry snatched the bear out of Cas hands and squeezed the life out of it, and Cas's laugh rang out around him. Cas's laugh was still one of most beautiful thing he had ever heard, just under Henry's laugh and above Led Zeppelin.

"What do you say, Henry?" his mom prompted, and Henry used one hand to make grabby hands at Cas. Dean was immensely grateful for the distraction. Anything was better than pulling Cas close and silencing his laugh with Dean's tongue.

Cas's laugh died down to mere chuckles, which had little to do with Dean, and he pulled Henry back into his arms. Once there, Henry beamed a blinding smile at Cas and got one in return. Henry then kissed his cheek. "Thanks, Cas!"

"You're welcome, Henry," Cas responded with reddened cheeks. For Dean's sanity, Cas should never blush whenever Dean is around. His cheeks aren't the only place Dean's lips would want to be.

"That was one hell of a lucky shot," his dad remarked as Dean tried to get his hormones in check and failing miserably.

"O--r," Cas drawled, looking at Henry who was frowning at his stuffed panda, "four years of archery lessons." Another thing Dean could add to his poor excuse of a list of things he knew about Cas.

"Archery lessons?" Sam shouted as they all ignored the spluttering vendor.

"Yeah. My dad wanted my siblings and me to be well rounded, so he made us pick a sport. I didn't want to pick a traditional sport,  and went with archery instead." Cas stopped and frowned, and Dean choked on the laugh that made its way up, seeing Cas's frown mirror Henry's. "He was less lenient went it came to fencing though." Another thing to add to the list.

"You know how to fence?" Sam asked. Dean was starting to think he should invite Sam around more often. He sure didn't have a problem with questioning Cas. Than again, Sam was the brains of the family, and he and Cas were bound to get along better than the rest of them. Just another reason why Cas would be better off with someone else, and not him. He should be with someone who could have an intelligent conversation with him, not Dean.

"Yeah," Cas answered, looking at Sam now. "Did that for five years. My great-grandfather made my grandfather fence then he made my dad fence, and finally my dad made the six of us fence. Michael and I were perfectly willing to learn...the others not so much. Baltazar and Gabriel were a menace to the instructor. Anna would rather ogle the instructor. And Lucifer just hated everything...still does sometimes."

"Thomas!" Henry shouted, surprising them all.

"Finally decided on a name, have we?" Cas questioned in a teasing manner.

"Yeah!" Henry beamed. "Like the train." The admission earned him a twitter of laughter.

Ever since Dean admitted or lied to Henry that he liked Cas, Henry had been the happiest Dean had ever seen him. A day hadn't passed since Wednesday, where Henry didn't grin from ear to ear at one of them. Dean hadn't realized that his avoidance of Cas was obvious to Henry. He loathe to think of what it must had looked like to Cas. If having Cas around made Henry this happy, then Dean was willing to endure the heartache. Surely his son's joy would outweigh the hurt.

"You name your panda after a train, buddy?" Dean smirked, pulling himself together.

"Yeah..." Henry answered looking dubiously at Dean.

"And it's a wonderful name," Cas informed Henry while glaring at Dean, causing him to look chagrined and Henry to look pleased.

"Yes, it is, sweetheart," his mom said as she walked up to Cas and Henry to kiss Henry's cheek. "Now, why don't you and Thomas show Cas your favorite thing about the fair."

"Yeah!" Henry cheered then jumped up from his seat on Cas's arm, causing Cas to surge forward to make sure he didn't fall. It was indicative of how much Dean trusted Cas when Dean didn't move forward to catch Henry, trusting Cas to be there to catch Henry.

"Easy there, Henry," Cas said, pulling him close as his mom ran her hand up and down Henry's back--most likely to comfort herself, and not Henry.

"We better get going," his mom pointed out, "so much to see and do. We fully intend to make your first county fair memorable."

"It's not really necess--"

"Nonsense," his mom said, coming around to Cas's other side and looping her hand around his. "It's more than necessary. County fairs are meant to be experienced at their fullest, and I refuse to let you miss out on this experience. Now come on." She pulled on his arm, forcing him to turn around and follow her.

Dean was left there standing his mouth opened as Sam and Jess trailed after the determined blonde.

"Don't think she's hauling him around everywhere because she wants him to have fun-well that's partly the reason why," his dad said, coming to stand next to him, "but it has more to do with the fact that she really hates when people flirt with him...kinda like how you glared at every girl we have seen so far that has stopped to ogle him."

Dean didn't know how to classify the strangled sound that came out his still opened mouth. He didn't know if it was a squeak--a manly squeak at that--that got strangled when he choked on air. He did, however, know the sound that came of his mouth really shouldn't be his main concern right now, but anything was better than focusing on the hand on his shoulder. Focusing on the sound was better than focusing on the thumb that was caressing the back of his shoulder.

Dean was coming to terms with the fact that now matter how hard he tried, his attraction to Cas would not go away. He was starting to think that it may never go away, and he would be forced to live with that for as long as Cas is around. God, did he wish Cas would be around for as long as possible. He would endure any pain if it meant his son and mom could have Cas. He didn't care how long it was just that it be long.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As you may have noticed--granted I did a good job of it--not everyone is oblivious. Adults, always having to over complicate everything. *Sigh*
> 
> My spring break starts on the 14th, so by the end of that time I am hoping to get another chapter up and it will be the much anticipated chapter.
> 
> After that I will not be writing until the Summer, because I will be too overwhelm with end of semester projects and papers as well as preparing for finals. Great Gods above.


	8. Parameter: Culmination

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Misunderstanding then a profound understanding.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Took longer than I anticipated because professors don't seem to understand what break means.
> 
> There is some blood in this chapter.

Cas couldn't stay here any longer.

He was already staying here for far too long as it is. The one month mark was fast approaching; something that Cas never meant to reach. The goal was to stay here while simultaneously finding a new dwelling place, not to stay here while simultaneously ingraining himself into the lives of Dean and Henry.

Cas sighed, sagged his shoulders, and gripped the white mug in his hands tighter. Hopefully the warmth from his mug will seep through him, fending off the cold that surrounded him. Somehow the heat from cooking earlier had vacated the kitchen, and the heat from outside refused to come in. It was seventy degrees in Lawrence, Kansas, but the angel didn't feel the heat.

Cas sighed again and let his eyes gaze out in front of him. There wasn't a spot in the backyard that sun didn't touch. If Cas wasn't the one to wake up Henry, he would have assumed the child went outside and painted everything in a thin layer of gold before Dean and he woke up, making sure he painted in the lines as meticulously as only a child could. So meticulously that Cas didn't mind the window separating him from the handiwork in front of him. There was perhaps one other who wouldn't see the work before him for what it was and that would be Dean. Cas highly doubted Dean would be as awestruck as he was considering someone had painted over his white picket fence. Cas snorted into his mug. Of course, Dean would have white picket fence.

Cas shook his head. He was getting distracted. He had something to do and getting distracted now would only cause him to cower behind his stony exterior and cause him to bury what he needed to tell Dean.

"Morning, Cas." His heart flew to his throat, his hands compressed around the mug, and his shoulder raised into the air. "Sorry." Cas whirled around to see that Dean was far from sorry, much too tickled by Cas' s reaction if the upturn of his mouth was anything to go by. He was wearing worn out blue jeans and a white t-shirt. Dean really didn't realize how tiring it was to get oil stains out.

"Morning, Dean." Why bother glaring at Dean? The action wouldn't do much to reprimand him.

Dean bent his head down and made his way to the island, but not before Cas saw the smirk on his face. But Cas was too busy dealing with the hate that returned to the room to care. He often wondered--far too much in his opinion--if the heat in general had little to do with the environment and more to do with Dean. Dean always brought light to any room he entered, always brought people together, and always brought a smile to a person's face. Cas wished Dean would see himself as such instead of the cursed being that he had regarded himself as for God knows how long.

"Eggs, bacon, and pancakes? Who died?" Dean joked around a mouthful of eggs. A little part of Cas died a while ago, but Dean didn't need to know that. "Delicious as always," Dean praised as he started cutting his stack of blueberry pancakes, his favorite--and unsurprisingly, Henry's as well.

Another little part of Cas died. Ever since the fair, Dean had made it his sole mission to get to know Cas, asking random questions about any and everything, like what was his favorite color was to did he run his fingers through his hair every morning to get his hair to appear that chaotic--the former was surprising, considering he and Dean were talking about dinner at the time, and the latter still baffled him to this day. Dean still hadn't received an answer as of yet. But Dean's genuine interest in him wasn't what killed a part of him. What killed him was Dean's genuine interest in him as a friend. Every little question added another nail to his proverbial coffin that held his hope of Dean being interested in him. It was quite the shock to him that he even had a thread of hope in him, having long ago surmised that Dean's tolerance of him was due to his good nature--good failed to describe it, but he was too tired right now--and his son's sake. Dean's interest in him as a friend was a welcome shock, however, but it stifled and buried his hope, which was probably for the best. Maybe now he would be able to move passed his infatuation with Dean.

"No one died, Dean," he dryly chuckled, "and thank you." The kitchen was astonishingly dim compared to gilded backyard.

"What? Just felt like cooking everything in my fridge?" Dean arched an eyebrow while hoarding chunks of pancake into his mouth. Mary must be weeping somewhere right now.

"I could've sworn you were praising my cooking a few moments ago? Was I mistaken?" he countered with a raised eyebrow of his own. And news was best received on a full stomach.

A gruff laugh followed, mushed pancake peeking out. Cas shouldn't find the lack of manners so endearing but he did. Dean was pigheaded about many things, and Cas admired that about him--his unyielding attitude toward correcting his minor faults. "Nah, just surprised. You only cook this much when you're..." Dean trailed off to stare at him with stricken eyes. "Who's coming over?"

Dean grip tightened around his fork, and Cas rolled his eyes at him. "No one's coming over, Dean. I already made pancakes when I remembered that we needed to use out the bacon, and I decided I might as well add eggs to the menu." Cas failed to mention that he had a week before he needed to worry about the bacon.

Dean's grip loosened and his posture slouched. "Oh, that's good-I mean it's not good-I-I don't have a problem with them coming over, it's just..."

"It would be nice if they at least told you?" Cas hazard a guess.

"Yeah," Dean agreed, releasing a gust of wind.

"Well, keep holding your breath." The remark warranted a sip of his tea. A tea that was getting colder faster that he anticipated. And more honey would be a godsend.

"Har-har, Cas. You're hilarious. You should get your show," he mock glared at Cas.

Cas chuckled over the rim of his cup, and shrugged for the hell of it. "I should, shouldn't I?" Dean stared at him in disbelief with his mouth slightly opened, no food was present this time. "Maybe your family wouldn't mind being guests." Dean's mouth just opened wider.

"I'm hurt, Cas. Hurt. And here I am thinking that we were friends." Cas couldn't help but flinch. Hopefully, Dean didn't take it the wrong way. And the final nail had been placed through his little coffin.

"You're the one that gave me the idea, so deal with it," Cas smiled at him, projecting a sense good humor while he felt a little raw inside.

"Shut up," he said and went back to shoveling food into his mouth. Silence filled the space between them. Now would as good a time as any to tell Dean.

"Has Henry been acting weird to you?" asked Cas, diverging when he head a giggle travel from the living room to the kitchen. He truly was a coward sometimes.

"Wah?" Dean said with his mouth full. It wasn't such a great idea to asked him that right now.

"Henry," he plowed forward. He started this, and he might as well end it. The courage to vocalize what he really wanted might come to him as he conversed more. Henry was always a safe topic. "Has he been acting strange to you?"

"What?" Dean said, this time with an empty mouth. Cas rolled his eyes, knowing that Dean is far from dense. He must have noticed Henry peculiar behavior these past few days.

"Henry's been acting strange lately," he confidently stated. "I was wondering if you knew why. He's as elated as ever, but less...clingy? You could say." Henry still clung onto him, but with less intensity. The fact that he still clung onto Cas was why Cas wasn't going insane thinking he did something to upset Henry. "I mean, he's eating his breakfast in the living room, similarly to how he ate his dinner in the living room last night."

"Now that you mention it," Dean mused, "he has been acting...strange, but I don't think we have anything to worry about. He's three, it's only natural that he wants to watch TV as much as possible."

"I guess," Cas subsided, "but that really doesn't explain his behavior on Sunday."

"What?" Cas refrained from glaring at him, because it was starting to feel like Cas was the only paying attention, which was far from the truth since Dean was just as observant as any parent when it came to their child.

"You didn't find anything he did on Sunday strange?" Cas inquired with tiny slits for eyes.

"No...?" he cautiously said, twirling his fork in his hands. Dean always had a habit of fidgeting with his hand whenever he was nervous.

"So, you didn't think his wanting to fold laundry was strange?" Cas's eyelids came closer together.

"I thought you had something to do with that!" he loudly accused.

"Me?" he squawked, "I had nothing to do with that. Why would you think that was my doing?" He never made Henry do any housework, and he never intended to until he was old enough for any form of responsibility. Cas forgot that he wouldn't be here to see that happen nor did he have power over Henry.

"Umm..." Dean managed to say the same time he ran his fingers through the back of his head.

"Well, I didn't," Cas indignantly stated. It was adorable to see Henry attempt to fold laundry by himself, refusing at any attempt they made to intervene. His attempt didn't last long though, considering after ten minutes of trying to fold his own shirt he gave up to go watch TV, leaving Dean and him alone. "Even if you didn't know that, didn't you find it odd that he wanted you to come help us?"

"I thought he didn't want me to to feel left out," Dean said, uncertain.

"Okay," Cas conceded, "I'll give you that, but what about the fact that he wanted both of us to be in the same room when he took a bath? And don't tell me he wanted to not make you feel left out." For the last four days, Henry had refused to take a bath unless Dean and him were in the bathroom. He would mulishly put his hands on his hips as he stood there until both he and Dean were present. How did Dean not find that strange? He was having a hard time figuring out Henry 's strange...quirks?

"Well...Oh my, God," Dean exclaimed, eyes filling with comprehension as Cas thanked every possible God he could list off the top of his head. "Oh my, God." Cas didn't want to tell him he said that before, he was allowed to have his little freak-out. It was beyond Cas how Dean didn't find Henry's behavior in the slightest bit strange. "I-I-I thought he was just being clingy! But I know that's not true now since he pretty much left the two of us after he finished!" What was possibly going through Dean's mind that he would miss that? Work. Work had to be what was distracting him. But it was was the second week of June, surely things should have been calm by now.

"Okay," Cas interrupted because Dean looked seconds away from having an aneurysm. "Moving past that, has Henry done any other strange things?"

"No," Dean said eliciting a sigh from Cas. "What? He hasn't done any other strange thing. We already covered him eating by himself, bath time, and laundry. What else is there?" There was laughter still coming from the living room, and his tea had long gone cold.

"Bedtime," Cas sighed. "You forgot who he has both of us lying on his bed while one of us reads him his bedtime story. And-don't give me that look. I know we are normally in the same room during bedtime, but never on the same bed." As if it wasn't an arduous task already having Dean in the same room with him, he now had to deal with being on the same bed with him. It was even more of a arduous task extracting themselves, because Henry had the habit of sprawling over the two of them like he intended to keep both of them trapped with him. The second time he unintentionally headbutted Dean as they both tried to escape at the same time. "How have you not found any of this strange?"

"Because he hasn't been anything but strange since you got here!" Dean shouted.

"Oh," Cas quietly said, feeling coldness seeped back into him.

"I didn't mean it that way, Cas," Dean said just as quietly. Cas could only hear his own beating heart and the soft murmur of the TV. "What I meant to say was that Henry has been acting different-good different since you got here. I mean, he trusts you, and I'm pretty sure someone in this family has told you how wary Henry is of strangers. Yet from the first day first day, he's been attached to you." He heard Dean gave a weak laugh, having been starting too intently at his now too hot tea. "Hell, he trusts you to the point that he even falls asleep with you." Cas couldn't help quirk a smile when he heard the remark. "I just-I didn't find anything weird because he's been anything but different when around you, and once again good different." Cas looked up and smiled at Dean, and received a wan smile to match his own. "I just figured that how he is with you."

Cas could accept that, having heard from different mouths how different Henry had been acting since he got here. But part of him still thought there was more to Henry's strange behavior. Yet again, another stretch of silence followed.

"So," Cas started and loathe that he had to do this and to do this now, but Dean was going to leave soon and better to get this out now than later on, "I finally met Mrs. Atkins on Sunday." The elderly history teacher who was a colleague and long time friend of Mary.

"Oh," said Dean with a furrowed forehead at the drastic change in subject. "Really nice woman. Makes a mean meatloaf, too."

"Yeah," Cas agreed, "she mentioned that." Cas didn't say anything after than, waiting until Dean finish drinking his coffee.

"Is that it?" he asked after, setting the mug down and still looking as perplexed as ever.

"No...she offered to help me look for new place." Dean didn't respond, sitting stock-still with his fork halfway through his pancakes. "Your mom told her about me, and she offered to help since she's familiar with a lot of the people around here." Cas's nerves were on high and increasing every second that went by without a word from Dean. "She said she helped Charlie get a place and would be happy to assist me as well." Why wasn't Dean saying anything?

"You're leaving?" Dean croaked out. A simple question that severed his heart in two.

"Well, yeah," Cas uncomfortably responded. "That was the arrangement. I stay here until I find a new place. We knew this was going to happen eventually."

"Yeah," he hoarsely said, setting down his pancake filled fork.

"It's close to a month now, and it's about time I start looking for a place of my own." He wouldn't have even been looking for a new place if it wasn't for Mrs. Atkins approaching him on Sunday and offering her help. If Dean was unaware of his son's strange behavior then Cas was unaware of his main goal for coming here: to stay here while looking for a new place.

"It's been a month?" asked Dean, and Cas nodded, not wanting to correct him. He was just one day off, after all. "It's real-Henry?" Dean finally looked at him with stricken eyes.

"I haven't told him yet, but we did tell him this was going to happen, and he understood then, so it wouldn't be hard to understand now," Cas assured him, or at least he hoped he was assuring enough.

"Yeah," Dean breathed out, sounding in the least bit assured.

"I'll tell him--"

"No," Dean interjected, "I'll tell him." Cas didn't know who Dean was promising, him or his plate?

"Are you sure?" he inquired.

"Yea-how about we both do it?" Dean defeatedly asked.

"Okay," Cas answered, nodding his head. "When?" Silence was his answer.

"I don't know..." Cas was at a lost himself. No time would be right to tell Henry because he was going to hurt regardless of when they told him, and neither knew how long after he would continue to hurt.

"We can tell him when I find a place?" Cas suggested. "He extremely happy now, and telling him is going to ruin that, and we don't know how long it will take me to find a place. It would unwise to make him sad when I could very well have a good amount of time left here." Why didn't he feel like reassured by that? Maybe he knew that Mrs. Atkins could very well call in the next minute. Time had no guarantee.

"Right," Dean said as he righted himself up and cleared his throat. "It's best if we tell him when you do find a place, since it's going to take you some time to move all your stuff in. It...it's give Henry some...some time to digest everything." Dean didn't make eye contact once, and his face darkened to match the room around him. Dean's expression was warranted. No parent would ever dream of causing their child any pain, and Dean was what? Days away from telling his child one of his favorite person alive could no longer stay with them?

"Yeah," Cas agreed, wishing more than ever that he could walk over to the stock-still man in front of him, hold him close and lessen his burden. But comforting Dean was not a liberty he was awarded. He was just going to have to stand and let his heart fall apart.

"Dad!" Cas and Dean jumped out of their skins as tiny feet patted their way to the kitchen. Seconds later their Batman & Robin pajama clad prince ran through the door with his fork and plate in hand. "Look," he brandished his plate to them, "I finished all by myself!" His enormous smile was more than enough to light up the room.

"That's great, buddy," Dean praised, but there was still a stiffness to his shoulder. Cas needed to tell him this. It would be cruel to just spring his moving on them. He couldn't very well just pack his bags, tell them he's leaving then promptly walk out. While Cas's shoulders sagged, Henry's smile grew in size.

"I'll take that," Cas said, walking around the island to take the plate and fork from Henry, but not before ruffling his hair and receiving a giggle.

"You're not finished with your breakfast!" he heard Henry accused as he placed the dirty dishes into the sink. Cas could help but smile even if he was the cause.

"Cas and I were talking, buddy," Dean responded, and the shuffling noise told Cas that he more than likely picked Henry up. If Cas was upset, he would seek comfort from Henry. After all, the little prince was a master cuddler.

"About what?" he excitedly asked, and Cas froze mid-turn.

"Grownup stuff, bud" Dean said in a strained voice.

"Like what?" Cas finally finished his turn, and Dean was in fact holding Henry. His side was facing Cas with his arms--a tad too tight--around Henry who sitting his lap. Henry didn't see to mind; he just continued to grin at his father.

"You don't worry about that, Henry. It's not anything important, just random stuff." And let the pouting begin. He was starting to understand that the Winchesters weren't very fond of being told to let something drop. He should count his blessings that a certain Winchester didn't pout at him. Somehow, he didn't think his self-restraint could handle the pout-age that would follow. "Henry," Dean stressed, "I promise you that it's not something you have to worry about." The 'for now' was left unsaid, but Cas heard it nonetheless.

"Okay," Henry sullenly said and grabbed hold of Dean collar, his unusual idiosyncrasy. Even when sleeping, Henry's hands somehow migrated to the collar of Dean or Cas.

"Don't be like that," Dean gloomily said as he reached forward to plant a kiss on Henry's cheek that did very little to appease Henry. Dean sighed then asked, "How about we share my bacon?" Henry pondered the request for a few seconds before he nodded. "Okay, then," Dean smiled and fixed them both, so that Henry's back was pressed against his chest, and Dean's back was once again facing Cas.

Cas debated whether or not he should join them at the island or leave the father and son pair to themselves. After some deliberation, Cas decided leave them be--he might a well distance himself now--and went to tackle the dirty dishes. Lathering up the sponge--it was blue this time--with dish soap, he went to war, well it wasn't war but it sure felt like it sometimes when he had to scrub food off.

He was engrossed in trying to dried pasta off a plate that he didn't notice anyone approach him until he felt a tug on his shirt. "Henry," Cas exclaimed when he looked down to see Henry smiling at him with one hand on his shirt and the on other holding up a plate.

"Here," Henry said, hefting the plate higher. He smile brighter when Cas took the plate from him. He resolved that it would be much better if they told him after he found a new place. Let him be free of any worry.

"Thanks," said Cas, smiling. It would do both him and Dean good if they pretend that nothing was amiss.

"Well...I'm just...gonna go now," Dean said, and Cas looked up to see him pointing his thumb in the direction of the front door.

"Right," Cas said with a comforting smile, "we don't want you to be late."

"Bye, Daddy, " Henry shouted as he ran up to Dean who caught him mid-run and pulled him in for a bear hug.

"Bye, buddy," Dean sighed. "Be good for Cas." As if Henry would anything but good.

"I will," he promised, but it always came out like more of a vow to Cas like Cas was one of his loyal subject, and he swore an oath to defend him. Dean smiled, kissed both his cheeks then placed him on the ground. "Wait!" Henry yelled when Dean made a move to leave the kitchen.

"What?" Dean asked, surprised but the sudden outburst.

"You didn't hug Cas." In that moment Cas truly believed in a God, and he was as dastardly as ever.

"What?" Dean repeated, and somehow becoming the epitome of confusion.

"You didn't hug Cas," Henry repeated as if it was the most sensible and obvious thing in the world, and his father was far too obtuse.

"Hug...Cas?" Dean dubiously asked as he swallowed, forcing Cas to look away. Dean's neck was far too obscene for his sanity.

"Yeah," the irritated three-year-old stated.

"Why would I hug Cas?" Dean squeaked. Cas could understand the stress he was under, having been assaulted by an array of emotions himself: confusion, anxiety, fear and longing.

"Because you're leaving!" Cas couldn't help that his lips twitched when Henry threw his hands up in the air. It was adorable and so becoming of a Winchester--over-dramatic, the lot of them.

"What does that have to do with anything?" At least one Winchester kept his hands to his sides.

"You always hug everybody when you leave!" he protested. "Nana, Grandpa, Grandpa Bobby, Gammy, Uncle Sammy, Aunty Jess, Uncle Benny, Aunty Andrea, Aunty Charlie, Aunty Gilda, Uncle Ash and Aunty Jo!"

Wow.

What else could one say when a three-year-old practically listed his entire family in one breath? Well, one could comment on his lung capacity, but that was besides the point because...wow.

Dean was staring wide eyed at the red faced kid in front of him. "But--" Dean attempted to say but snapped his mouth shut when Henry glared at him. Clearly words weren't the correct response.

Cas racked his brains trying to find an answer for Henry because hugging Dean wouldn't be wise at all. His answer came in the form of a drop hitting the floor. "I'm sure your dad would love to give me a hug, Henry," Cas told him, ignoring the voice that told him he was the one who would love to hug Dean and ignoring how Dean flinched back as if he touched something hot, "but my hands are covered in soapsuds, and I don't want to mess up your dad's shirt." He presented his wet, sud covered hands as proof.

"You can wash your hands," he simply stated, regarding Cas as if he was the dense one.

"Of course," Cas said, glancing at Dean who was just as distressed as he was. He turned around to wash his hands as his heart beat against his chest. Once finished, he grabbed the baby-blue dish towel he always used to dry the dishes to dry his hands. When he turned around, Dean was a tense as ever, shoulder squared like he was going to war and hands fisted at his sides. Cas wasn't sure if the moisture on his hands was from his inability to properly dry his hands or from his overactive sweat glands.

Dean swallowed again then turned to face Cas. Cas could see from the uncertainty on his face that this wasn't going to be a pleasant experience for either of them. Henry was essentially telling Dean to hug someone he considered family, and from the look on Dean's face, the sentiment was only shared by Henry. Dean looked like he would rather be anywhere but here. Cas sent him a faint smile as encouragement for it could be a lot worst. Henry was simply asking for a small hug.

Dean stalked forward as Cas tried to project a facade of calm. "Bye, Cas," Dean croaked, wrapping his arms around Cas and patting his back all in the scope of mere milliseconds.

"B-bye, Dean," Cas whispered to Dean retreating form, feeling a slight tremor wreck his body. So much for thinking they were on the cusp of becoming friends. Dean stopped with one foot hovering a few centimeters off the ground. Cas craned his neck to identify the cause and was greeted by a very unsatisfied Henry. He had both hands on his hips, still red in the face, but wearing a glare that threatened to unpleasant things for the one it was directed at. At least one Winchester cared about him.

"That wasn't a hug," Henry pointed out, and Dean crumbled.

"Henry," Dean whined. Cas knew he was awkward, but undoubtedly it wasn't a chore to simply hug him. Why was he even invested in Dean hugging? It would be best if he limit physical contact with Dean.

"Give Cas a hug, Dad," Henry unrelentingly commanded, and the man in front of him crumbled even more, releasing a gust of. The only thing lacking was the whirlwind of dust to normally followed. And just as fast as it was to pat Cas on the back, Dean was once again facing Cas. But this time, Dean was the one who gave the faint smile. Why did it look more pained than the one he gave?

Dean stalked over at a more sedated pace, fully intended on making this ordeal draw out. Dean pulled Cas forward, making squeak out in surprised, and held him close--well, not close, but closer than their previous attempt at a hug. All the while this was occurring, Cas had a silent mantra running through his head: Don't breathe in. Don't breathe in. Don't...Did Dean just breathe in?

"Bye, Cas," Dean rushed out, separating from Cas before he could ponder about the sizable amount of air Dean inhaled.

"Bye, Dean," he said around the lump in his parched throat.

Dean nodded once, stalked back over to Henry, kissed the top of his head and walked out. It was now Cas's turn to become stock-still. Dean darted out the room as if it was on fire. Confusion and hurt swept through him, the former he had hoped to share with Henry but only found anger and disappointed on his face. Cas swept forward to scoop up Henry because, by the look of it, they both need some comfort.

"Aunty Charlie was right," Henry mumbled into Cas's neck, "Dad's an idiot." Cas didn't know where the laugh come from, but it caused him to propel his head back--much to Henry's displeasure--and bellowed.

"You're dad's not an idiot, Henry," Cas laugh. "Your aunt just likes teasing him just like how he likes teasing her about her obsession with video games and comic books." Dean shouldn't even point fingers, considering he was just as bad as she was.

"Well, he's a big meanie then," he petulantly grumbled and the revving of the impala's could be heard coming from outside, followed by the car pulling of the driveway then nothing shortly after.

"He's just tired and overworked, and we were probably making him late for work." He'd hoped that Dean would've slept more after the end of May but was sadly mistaken. Dean had been sleeping less and less. He couldn't remember the amount of times he had awoken to find Dean tossing and turn whenever he passed Dean's room. And to add onto that, work hadn't slowed down at all. If anything, it increased tenfold.

"Grandpa wouldn't be mad if he was late," Henry defended, gripping more intensely on Cas's collar.

"True," he agreed, "but your dad doesn't like being late, and he has a lot of work to do since there are more customers this month." Henry grumbled and continued to rub his nose across Cas' s neck. "He'll apologize." Or not since Dean didn't do anything wrong. The entire situation was completely out of the norm, and the last thing the two of them expected. Or maybe they should have expected it given how different Henry had been acting around them.

"Okay," he relented.

"How about we make a pie to cheer your dad up?" Cas suggested. "Or at least cheer you up."

"Yeah." Cas smiled, feeling somewhat in control of himself now. It looked like one Winchester had his back. And the sentiment was enough to ease the hurt. The day could only get better from now on.

~~~★~~~

"Hiya, Dean," Charlie cheerfully greeted, and Dean grunted in response. He was far too frazzled and incensed by this morning's ordeal with Cas. He didn't even know what to call it.

Hey grunted again, too afraid what might come out if he did open his mouth, and made his way to the workshop, ignoring the confounded look Charlie was shooting him. He grabbed his pair of overall and aggressively put it on, unaware of the concerned looks his father was shooting him. Charlie was now standing behind him. Once done, he walked over to the white Sudan he was working on from yesterday.

"Dean?" he heard his dad call out after he's grabbed his wrench and got under the car.

"It would have nice to know that you and mom asked Mrs. Atkins to look for a place for Cas," he gritted out to the now quiet workshop. ' _Just perfect_.' "It sure beats going to breakfast and hearing that your mom asked someone to look for a place for you without even telling you first." Why in the world wouldn't this bolt tighten further? Why was he even angry? He knew that Cas's stay wasn't permanent, and he should be happy that someone was helping him. He sure as hell wasn't doing anything to help Cas.

"What?" three voices said at the same time. He would've laughed at their timing, but time was no friend of his right now, not that it ever was.

"Cas told me this morning that Mrs. Atkins told him on Sunday that she heard from mom that he was looking for a place and she would gladly find a place for him."

"Oh." Oh? All his dad had to say was 'oh?!'

"That's all you have to say?"

"Wait," Bobby interjected before his dad could respond, "why the hell are you so uspset about this?"

' _Because he's leaving us_!' Dean screamed in his head. ' _He's leaving me!_ ' The wrench almost fell out of his hand when he realized what he just thought. Cas wasn't even with him, and he was already losing him. Was this going to be his life from now on? Was he going to fall in love with someone and then lose him or her before something even happened? Was this his punishment for sleeping with all those women, not caring about anything other than their names?

"Dean?" Charlie called this time.

"I know you guys have no qualms about sticking your noses in my business, but I would appreciate it if you keep them out of Cas's," he snapped.

Fuck.

He didn't mean to say that. Fuck. He was just...he was just mad at everything. And the deafening silent around him was doing nothing to calm his rapidly beating heart or to push down the guilt that was building up.

"We should get back to work," his dad tightly said, and Dean just wanted to disappear. "We got a lot to do." Maybe the car would fall and end his misery.

Pairs of feet shuffled away, but Dean could see a pair out of the corner of his eye. Only one of them would wear bright purple converse. "Dean," Charlie softly whispered after she crouched down, "what's really bothering you?"

What was bothering him? Was he really upset that his parents didn't tell him or Cas about Mrs. Atkins? Was he really that upset that Cas was leaving? Or was he really upset by how he treated Cas this morning. But who could blame his for panicking this morning? Mere minutes after hearing that Cas was leaving, his son asked him hug Cas goodbye. Neither of them didn't know how that simple request terrified him. What if he'd hugged Cas goodbye and return home to find him gone? What if he'd hugged Cas and refused to let go afterward?

He didn't mention his fear instead he treated Cas as if he was some stranger, as if he had some deadly sickness that the simplest of touch would help spread it. He was so wound up, making it seemed like he would rather be doing something far more appealing, and that would be the farthest from the truth because he couldn't imagine anything better than having Cas in his arms. He'd hoped that the first hug would've been enough for Henry, but no it wasn't. Even the simple pat on the back that he gave Cas pulled at everything in him to hold on to Cas and never let him go. He had to pull away before Cas even got his arms around him. How was he supposed to handle a second one? He didn't handle it well was the answer. He'd wound his arms around Cas and held him close as he could handle, but ruined it when he took a deep breath. Of all the things that Cas could have smelled like he just had to smell of vanilla. Dean had to let go before he did something he would've regretted. He had to get out of the house, so he ran like the coward he was.

"Dean?"

"It's nothing, Charlie." But it wasn't nothing. He was sure that he made the guy his mother and son were in love with feel like some unwanted outsider. All the work he had done to become Cas's friends crumbled right in front of him, and he only had himself to blame.

He hoped the hug wasn't his last good bye to Cas.

~~~★~~~

Dean couldn't begin to describe the dread that consumed his person when he spotted Cas on his doorstep. He had half the mind to climb back into the impala and drive back to work or to his mom--perhaps not his mom, considering she might not be all that thrilled to see him after his biting remark from earlier today. He never meant to snap at all of them. Hewas just tired hurting all the time. But from the look of it, he was going to be hurting very soon.

With squared shoulders, he marched up to the dark-haired, blue-eyed angel sitting on his doorstep, and almost tripped when said angel focused his attention on his. Had he not already have a trying day as it is? Now he came home to find Cas sitting on his doorstep with his lips tightly encircling the head of a bright red Popsicle. He had no doubt the part in his mouth was pink from having the juice sucked out of it. Karma was more of a vindictive bitch than he thought.

"Dean, are you all right?" Cas exclaimed, not knowing a string of saliva had connected his bottom lip and the head of the Popsicle before snapping in half.

"I'm fine, Cas," he managed to ground out, feeling a twitch down below.

"Dad!" Henry shouted, his head appearing from the side of Cas, smiling widely at Dean with suspiciously blue teeth and lips. Cas had served as a barrier blocking Henry from Dean's sight when pulled up. Dean felt the knot in his stomach uncoil slightly.

"Hey, buddy," Dean smiled at his son, relieved that his son wasn't angry at him. "How come your guys are outside today?" Cas braced his back against the door, giving him a better view of Henry who was now in a Green Lantern t-shirt and blue jeans.

"Cas said we should play catch while we wait for the pies!" he excitedly shouted, and something in Dean cracked unbelievably close to the center of his chest.

"Pies?" he asked in disbelief, not even caring that his voice cracked at the end.

"Yeah! Apple and Cherry pie!" Not once did Cas look at him. All his attention was dutifully focused on Henry. "Cas didn't want to make lemon pies. Said we should make apple and cherry instead!" Why wasn't Cas looking at him? "We even had to go to the store to get cherries, too." He stopped to scrunched his face in distaste. "Cas got sour cherry though. Blah." Cas flinched the same time something else cracked inside Dean and knew very well it was his heart.

Shame was the prominent emotion from the list of emotions that coursed through his body. He was a right ass to Cas, yet Cas made him pie. No-one could say Cas making him his two favorite pies was a coincidence, and if anyone did then he or she needed to be clobbered over the back of his or her head with a bat. Everyone knew of his love of pie, but very few knew apple and cherry were his favorites. Even more so, very few knew of his obsession with sour food especially sour sweets. Hell, he didn't even think he mentioned it to Cas, but somehow he found out and made him a sour cherry pie. But as what? A gift? A peace offering? An apology? How Dean wished it wasn't the last one? If anyone need to apologized, it was Dean?

Dean loomed over Cas and bit down the hurt when Cas stiffened. "Hey, bud?"

"Yeah, dad?"

"Can you give us sec?" he asked. "I need to talk to Cas real quick."

"Why?" He would give anything right now for Cas to just look at him even if it was just a second.

"Grownup stuff, buddy."

"Again?" Henry whined.

"Yeah," Dean smiled apologetically at his son.

Henry pouted for a few seconds but stood up nonetheless. Cas followed suit. Once Cas was securely on his feet, Henry handed him his popsicle stick then picked up his red ball that Dean also didn't noticed and scampered off.

"Stay where I can see you!" Cas yelled after him still refusing to make eye contact with Dean. And Dean didn't know if he could live with that, not seeing Cas's eyes.

"Cas..." Dean said when he still refused to look at him. He didn't mean for desperation to seep into his voice, but it did.

"How was work?" Cas smiled at him, the last thing he need right now. He wanted Cas to be upset with him or annoyed at the very least.

"Work was fine, but--"

"That's good," Cas interjected with a glint in his eyes. If didn't know better, he could have sworn that Cas knew what he was trying to do. Perhaps he did, but that meant little to Dean. He was going to apologize regardless.

"Cas--"

"When did you guys expect things to settle down?" Dean felt a spark of irritation. Dean didn't apologize often, and he would appreciate it if Cas actually let him.

"In the next week or so," he coolly responded.

"Great," Cas said. "Henry has been pretty down lately that you don't have enough energy to play with him." His eyes switched back to Henry.

"Really?" He sure didn't look like it to Dean.

"Of course," Cas confirmed, looking at him again. "He always looks forward to your time together, but he does understand you have a lot of work to do lately, so he's somewhat pacified."

"Then I'll make sure to be extra playful tonight. But Cas I reall--" Whatever else was supposed to come out of Dean got stuck in his throat when Cas pushed him out the way, almost knocking him completely off balanced.

Dean whirled around when Cas shouted "Henry!" only to freeze in place. Cas dashed across front yard at a pace that Dean didn't know he could in effort to get to the brunette-hair, dear-caught-in-the-headlights kid. And what an appropriate comparison it was considering the red Jeep that was fast approaching. The second it took him to look at the Jeep then back to son, Cas had arrived and pushed Henry out of the way. Then he whipped his head in the direction of the car and stood there. There wasn't much he could, not time to move himself nor put up any defense. Dean's dark-hair, blue-eyed angel faced his doom.

The second the car collided, everything went silent: the birds, the dogs, the cats, the cars, the people, and more importantly Dean's mind.

"CAS!" Henry screamed, and Dean was off, pushing himself to run faster than his body would allow.

He halted once at the scene and felt his heart constrict along with his stomach. The scene before him was the last thing he wanted to see. Cas was on his side with his right leg stretched out in front of his with the knee bent at an angle. He left leg was outstretched with its knee bent back at an angle. His white clad torso and above were twisted with his arms on either side of his head, bent as if he was imitating chicken wings. And his face...god, his face was looking out at a pool of blood, eyes closed, and mouth opened--the fact that his mouth was open somehow did little to assure Dean that he was alive, since Cas never slept with his mouth open.

"CAS!" Henry screamed again, crawling over to Cas with tears streaming down his face. One hand was placed on Cas head while the other rested on his shoulder. "Cas!" Henry shouted vigorously shaking Cas, and Dean darted forward and snatched up his son, fearing what might happen if Henry continued his assault on Cas's already damaged body. "NO!" Henry howled as he trashed against his father's restraint. The pain his son was inflicting pale in comparison to what he felt inside. Cas wasn't the only one bleeding out on the tar covered road. "LET ME GO! CAS!"

"Someone call an ambulance!" he heard a female voice shout, unaware of the cars that stopped or the people that were leaving their homes to see what the commotion was. His attention was ripped away from the slumped body on the ground to the lax one in his arms.

"Henry?!" he shouted, hands frantically surveying every inch of his body for any abnormally, only finding a scraped elbow and chin. He hugged his son's loose limbs close to him as relief invaded his body, but that was short lived when he heard a siren in the distance.

~~~★~~~

"Sir, we need to you stay here!" shouted the aged doctor. His baby-blue eyes, betraying their name, glared frostily at Dean.

"I'm not leaving him!" Dean shot back with a glare of his one as he hurried along with the stretcher Cas was placed on. Before he could say more, a hand yanked him away from the stretcher as the doctor and a hoard of nurses guided it through doors. Dean turned his stare to the one who stopped.

"Sir, we need to look at the boy," the petit, bleached-blonde nurse in blue shrubs hotly stated. And just like that the fire that had been burning since the flurries of 'no's' and 'don't's' first bombarded his ears. The blonde didn't waste any time and hauled him with her to one of the room down the hall, far away from the other end Cas was on. "Sit," she instructed, hazel eyes darkening and pointed nose round face scrounging up as she lead him to the bed and let go of him. "I'll be right back," she said, leaving him alone with his thoughts.

Dean situated Henry so that he was sitting across his lap with Henry's head resting on his chest as he tried to stop his burning eyes. He had been fighting the tears ever since Cas was loaded onto the ambulance. He fought through them while fighting to be allowed onto the ambulance. He fought through his tears as the monitor monitoring Cas heartbeat started started beep slowly with beeps too far drawn out. He fought through tears when he looked at his hand and found Cas's dried blood on his hand, forgetting his son was kneeling in a pool of blood left my his savior.

"Dean!" Dean eyes moved away form his son to spot his mom and dad at the door, staring at him with a mixture of relief and fear.

"Mo--" his voice broke before he could finished. His mom, wasting no time, swept forward and wrapped her arms around, ever so mindful of Henry. "Mo--" he tried again but still couldn't get the word out. And he only needed one more letter.

"Oh, baby," she whispered, and he broke for the umpteenth time today. All the tears that welled up inside broke the dam and streamed down his face. He breathing became ragged, and his shoulders heaved as it became hard to breathe through all his tears and constricting chest. "Oh, baby," she lulled but to no anvil. Dean kept sobbing as mass of tear drops soaked into Henry t-shirt. She tightened her hold on him and transferred one hand to the back of his head, and that broke him even more. Dean buried his face into her neck and sob even more uncontrollably.

A few seconds later, his father joined the mix, wrapping his arms around all three of them. The last time this had happened, Henry was only four days old, and he had broken down on his mom's porch after being left to raise a kid on his own. Funny how one gave Dean a kid because she didn't want to give up her life while the other willingly risked his life to ensure that Dean got to keep his kid.

"Ahem," someone announced, and they broke apart. "Sorry to interrupt," the nurse said with an apologetic smile, "but I really need to check on your son."

"Of course, " his mom answered when no sound came out his opened mouth. His mom and dad stepped aside to make room for the Nurse, Tara--according to her name tag--to get to Dean and Henry. She set down the tray containing the antiseptic medicine, band-aids and cotton balls next to Dean. She didn't pick up the items. However, she stood in front of Dean and gently took one of Henry hand and placed two of her fingers on his wrist to test his pulse.

After sixty long agonizing seconds, she removed her fingers and said, "pulse is normal. So he probably fainted due to shock." She gently placed Henry's hand back then started probing the back of his head with her fingers then the top, the the side facing her. "Can you lift his head off your chest for me?" Dean did as she asked and felt grateful that she didn't comment on the stray tears that still ran down his face. "No bumps or bruises, but still I'll advise you to keep his head in a reclined position." She grabbed one of the cotton balls and the antiseptic bottle. She uncorked it and placed the cotton ball on the mouth and turned it upside down. She put the bottle down, took hold of Henry's arm again then dabbed the bruise.

Henry squirmed in his unconscious state, and Dean pulled him close to his body. He escaped pain once today, and Dean would like to keep it that way. He belatedly remembered that Henry didn't escape pain today. He watched the man who loved and took care of him lying on the road. Once again Dean stomach contracted, and something pierced his heart.

Tara stopped and waited, not saying a word. Dean lowered his defense and loosened his hold on Henry and allowed her to finish her work. Tara went about her task, ignoring how Dean squirmed every time Henry did. Once finished, she repeated the process on his chin with a newly soaked cotton ball. And finally she put a band-aid each on both his injuries.

"All done," she said, stepping back then going for the tray.

"Cas," Dean managed to say just as she was about walk out the door. He tried on two occasions to say his mom's name and failed but got Cas's on the first attempt.

"I'm sorry?"

"Cas, the guy--"

"Sorry, dude," she cut in saying, "but I don't have any news on the guy you came in with." She quickly added when Dean's posture fell, "But last I heard Dr. Hansen was handling his case, and he's one of the best surgeon in the Midwest. Your friend's in good hands." And with that, she left the three adults and one child to themselves.

"Dean, what happened?" his mom beseechingly asked.

"How did you even find out?" he asked instead of answering.

"Mrs. Jensen called me saying there was an accident and Ca-" her voice broke off. He should have known that she would've taken this with much difficulty. Next to him and Henry, she was probably the only other family member that cared so deeply about Cas.

"She got as far as telling that a Cas was being loaded onto a stretcher before we were out the door," his dad finished for here. "We would have gotten here sooner had we known which hospital they were taking him to. Actually we went to the building on Maine St." Dean completely forgot about Lawrence Memorial Hospital had two different locations, on two different streets. He couldn't fault them for going to the wrong building considering that the one he wasn't currently in was the oncology building that Jess worked at. He only ever stepped in this building for his and Henry annual check-up.

"Dean?" his mom called, resting her hand on his shoulder pulling him for his thoughts.

"Cas got hit by a car." The memory had been replaying since he stepped into the ambulance. "Henry was standing in the middle of the street and some car was coming at him and Cas...Cas took off and pushed him out the way." He did more than that. Instead of knocking them both out of the way, Cas pushed his son out harm's way uncaring what happened to him. There wasn't even fear on Cas face when the car got unbearably close. Cas merely stood there and accepted his faith, not attempt to get himself out of there or even bring his arms up to protect himself. "It happened so fast. We were talking, while Henry played in the front yard, and Cas just took his eyes off of him for one second and... and we don't know how he ended up there."

Cas bled on his street, and now he was somewhere in this hospital bleeding out. Why did he even insist on trying to apologize then? Why couldn't he have waited? Why did he ignore Cas attempt to avoid the topic? His day was already shitty as it was, why did he expect things to change? When did he ever get what he wanted? Why did every time he tried to fix things, they ended up crumbling right before his eyes.

"He put himself in front of a moving car to save Henry?" his dad asked, and Dean nodded as the hand on his shoulder squeezed hard.

"He s-saved my s-son's life," he forced out, trying to keep back his tears. He didn't think he had ever cried this much in his life, not even when Sam passed the bar exam. But that didn't matter because crying wouldn't help Cas right now. That was enough to make the room spin. What could he do? For all he knew, Cas could be fighting for his life right now...or worse. His stomach caved in on itself and bile rose to his mouth when he thought of Cas, not lying still on the street but on a stretcher in some room surrounded by people who knew nothing about him.

"Jesus," his dad breathed out. Dean returned with a dry, weak laugh. If there was a god, he would have never let this happen. He--none of them would've been here right now. They would've all been home. Cas, Henry, and he would've been home right now, but no, Henry was passed out in his arms while Cas was who knows where.

He was about to make a biting remark about god when he remembered something. "Jess," he piped up saying. "Where's Jess. She can tell us what's going on with Cas."

"That's right," his dad said, wide-eyed.

"She can't," his mom told them, and both he and his dad looked at here. "She's on the night shift today." And Dean stomach sank. "And she won't be on break till way after eleven or even after twelve tonight."

"But she could still find out," his father informed her. "Even though, she isn't even in the same building she must have connections here who would gladly update her if she explained the situation."

"I'll call her then," his mom remarked, reaching into the pocket of her light-blue jeans.

"Jess isn't allowed to walk around with her phone," Dean reminded her.

"I'll the hospital then."

"How about I just go over there and tell her?" his dad suggested. "It will be better if she heard it in person from one of us than over the phone."

"Hurry back," his mom requested.

"Yeah," he said said with a nod and walked out of the room.

After a beat if silence his mom asked, "How are holding up?" To which, he responded with a mild glare. "Don't give me that look, Dean. You always have to asked with you, or else you'll never say anything. Keep it all bottled up."

"Tired," he said, knowing she wouldn't give up--a Winchester in all but blood. "I'm tired of everything. I'm--"

"Dean!" A voice shouted then a certain redhead stormed through the door, a certain red-hair that had on black jeans and a white shirt that happened to be inside out.

"Mom!"

"I didn't call her! I didn't call anyone!" she indignantly shouted. A soft whimpered had all of them freezing in place.

"Shh," Dean soothed the restless child in his hand by pulling him close and gently rocking him. Dean placed a kiss on Henry's forehead when he went lax again. "Charlie, what are you doing here?" he whispered as hushed as possible.

"We heard what happened," she answered as she came closer to them.

"We?" his mom voiced before he could.

"Hi," Gilda said, poking her head from out behind Charlie. From what he could tell, her pink shirt was on correctly.

"Hi," he said then followed up with a "how?"

"Gilda went by your place to deliver some of those chocolate scones you like so much, but no-one was there," she answered.

"I thought that maybe you guys went out," Gilda continued, "but the door was open, and I could smell pie." Charlie arched an eyebrow when he flinched, and his mom narrowed her eyes at him. He completely forgot that Cas was baking for him. And as if he was hurting enough, his heart stopped for a second.

"She checked everywhere but couldn't find you guys anywhere then she started to panic," Chalice continued still watching him as if she was examining a specimen through a microscope. "So she called me--"

"But not before I took the stove off," she butted in. "Also, Cas really outdid himself with the pies. They smelled divine." As if flinching once wasn't bad enough, Dean composure crumbled.

"But that is besides the point," Charlie said with an eye-roll. "She called me while she went next door to your hippie neighbors to find out it something happened. And something did. The guy said Cas got hit by a car trying to save Henry."

"Thanks, Charlie. We're well aware," he said in a clipped voice. He was all too aware of what happened. He had been reliving it every since.

Her face darkened like she was about to snap at him, but she instead went with "Sorry."

"Sorry," he parroted. She was just answering his question. Besides, he was unfairly rude to her once today. He still needed to apologize to her for that and frankly everyone else. More importantly, he was hoping he would get the chance to apologize to one in particular.

"Dean!" The adults turned to see his behemoth of a brother storm into the room. His mop for hair was covering most of his face. His last three buttons of burgundy dress shirt weren't buttoned, and the left side was slightly untucked from his black slacks.

Dean groaned and rested his forehead onto of his son's head. Why did he expect anything less? He should just wait until the rest of them showed up.

"I actually called him," Charlie told him, and he was surprised he found to strength to raise his head and glare at her.

"Dean, what happened?" he asked, brushing past Charlie who sputtered indignantly. "Charlie was going on about accidents and hospitals before she cut off on me."

"Actually that was me," Gilda stated. She glared at her wife--they could be considered married if they wanted to regardless of what Kansas said--and said, "Your dear sister decided it was a good idea to call you while she was driving."

"What happened?" he asked again, reaching out to stoke the top of Henry's head, unaware of the glaring match commencing behind him.

Dean, not trusting himself to speak, looked at his mom. Boy, did that bring back memories of doctor visits and never being to one to explain what was wrong with him. His mom gave him a warm, reminiscent smile and answered, "Cas was in a car accident."

"What?" he said in astonishment. "Ho-how...Henry," he said said, tearing his disbelieving eyes away from her to the band-aid on Henry's arm.

"Cas pushed Henry out of the way of a moving car," Charlie answered as if she was merely stating a fact like something about the weather. As if it wasn't something important. How could she say it like that? Cas just saved the life of his child and was now fighting for his.

"Charlie," his mom warned.

"He asked," she stated. "And the sooner we explain things to him the sooner we can find out about Cas."

"You could've been more--"

"I know," she cut his mom off, "but you know I don't do well under stress and right now I'm really, really worried about Cas." She glanced at Henry. "And I'm really worried about Henry." The last comment was a slap in the face. He could he have forgotten about Henry? Henry was going to be livid when he woke and couldn't see Cas.

"She right," Dean told them. "We're doing no good sitting here. And when my son wakes up, I would like to tell him that he can see Cas." He also hoped Cas would be awake as well. He was going to disregard the voice the said, 'If he wakes up.'

"Okay," his mom said, holding her arms open, "hand him over."

"No," Dean near screeched, pulling Henry close. "He going to wake up if he leaves my arms, and I would like it if he woke up when we can see Cas." He wasn't sure his statement was entirely true, but he wasn't willing to test it.

"Right," his mom said, lowering her arms with a crestfallen look on her face. He knew she would like to make sure her grandson was okay for herself, but right now it felt like the calm before the storm, and he would like to prolong it as much as possible.

"Come on," he instructed, trying to scoot off the bed without jostling Henry as much as possible. He walked straight ahead, grateful that the made a path for him, and walked out the door. He ignored the whispers the came from behind him as he made his way down the hall. Charlie was more than likely filling Sam in on every little details. Sometimes Sam was nosier than their own mom. "Hi," Dean said to the receptionist when he got to the front desk.

"Hi," said the Asian woman, Sayo, according to her name-tag. Dean froze, not knowing what to ask.

"Hi, Sayo," Sam said.

"Hey, Sam," she said perking up. "How are you? How's Jess?"

"We're both fine," he weakly smiled at her.

"That's good," she commented. "What can I do for you?"

"The patient who came in earlier today because of a car accident, what's his condition?" Sam asked.

"The dark-haired one?" she furrowed her eyebrows.

"Yeah," Dean said. "Really messy hair, insanely blue eyes, pointy nose, really chapped lips, W-shaped chin and frowns a lot." Sayo didn't answer him, but her eyebrows did reach her hairline while his family members were looking at him with amused expressions.

"Him," Sam concurred.

"He's probably still in surgery. No, he definitely still in surgery seeing that he was only admitted what? Ten minutes ago?" she responded.

Dean swallowed and asked, "How long will he be in surgery?"

"Don't know," she said with a glum expression. "I don't know the extent of his injuries, so I can't give you a time estimate. I'm sorry."

"It's fine, Soya," Sam assured her. "Could you--"

"You'll be the first to know of his progress," she interrupted.

"Thanks," Sam smiled, downcast.

"You're welcome, Sam," she said, "just wish I knew more."

"It's fine, dear. Thank you," his mom reassured her. Everyone kept saying how it was fine, but it wasn't. Nothing about this was fine. His son was bound to wake up at any moment, and they have no idea what was happening to Cas. He could be...Dean couldn't even finish that line of thought. Cas couldn't. He just couldn't.

"Dean," his mom said tugging on his arm, "come on. There's nothing we can do now, just wait." She didn't wait for his confirmation. She pulled him by his arm a little farther down the hall to the waiting room. A large waiting room littered with sand colored coaches and light brown colored chairs. The side of the wall with the windows had mocha colored bookshelves. The floor was tiled with white colored tiles with with tiny chips of blue, white, and red and the was a soft cream color. It should feel somewhat homely, but right now Dean would do anything not to be here. Anything not to have Cas here.

He was too wrapped up in his thoughts, he didn't even noticed when his mom sat him down on the chair next to the bookshelf. It was probably be for the best, the farther away he was from the from desk the better; he doubt the poor girl would appreciate being asked every minute if there was news about Cas.

"God, I hate hospitals," Charlie moaned, depositing herself on the chair next to him. If his hands weren't full, he would've reached over and held her hand or give her shoulder a squeeze or something. He couldn't imagine spending a large chunk of his teenage years visiting a comatose parent. He felt guiltier for being mad at her about her flippant answer to Sam concerning Cas.

"I know," he said instead. Gilda did sit on the couch next to her chair, and the action did mollify his desire to comfort her.

"Should we call the others?" Gilda asked his mom while stoking the back of Charlie's hand with her thumb.

"No," she said, surprising the rest of them. "We'll call them after we get some news. No use causing them to worry, especially Andrea." Something they could all agree on.

"Hey," his dad said, coming up from behind his mom to stand on her left side, the other side was occupied by Sam. "Went by the room but you guys already left, and I figured I might as well check here first. So, any news on Cas?"

"No, just that he's in surgery right now," his mom answered him. "What did Jess say?" Sam perked up at the mention of his wife. Dean couldn't muster up the energy to tease him.

"She tried pawning off her shift to someone else, but no luck there," he chuckled. "She did promise she'll get as much information as she can as soon as possible." He didn't know if it was possible to love Jess even more. Sam did more than good with this one.

"Hopefully, it sooner rather than later and good news," his mom remarked.

"Yeah," his dad seconded. "I see Henry still out cold?"

"Yeah," Charlie answered.

"Hopefully, he stays that way until we see Cas." Dean hoped so, too. But it didn't really matter, Henry was going to go ballistic regardless of when he woke up. Dean was just hoping he would have Cas lucid enough to help comfort Henry. If not, who knew what he would do?

~~~★~~~

Henry woke before Cas did. Or Dean assumed he did since it had been two hours since they spoke to Sayo, and yet not a word about Cas's condition.

Dean didn't understand how accurate he was when he described Henry's slumber as the calm before the storm. The moment Henry woke, after he took in his surroundings, he demanded to know where Cas was. When all he received were nervous looks and shifting movements, hurricane Henry went into full blast. Henry burst into tears, long streams of tears that Dean had no idea where it was coming. Throughout the water shower, Henry let out broken demands for Cas. The severity of both his sudden burst of tears and his demands not only startled the Winchesters and extended family but the entire waiting room. One woman even sprung out of chair as if the fire alarm had sounded. And from then on, there were varying degrees of expressions since then ranging from downright annoyance to extreme pity.

"Shh, Henry," Dean tried to soothe the distraught child by rocking to and fro on his feet. After trying for the first five minutes to get Henry to calm bore no fruits, he decided getting up and rocking him would help: it did when we younger, but the plan did nothing to alleviate Henry's pain.

"Wah!" Henry wailed then increased the volume when Dean placed his hand on the back of his head. "I WANT CAS!" Every time those words left his mouth, all their hearts broke a little more.

His mom moved forward and placed her hand on Henry's back but recoiled when Henry squirmed away from the touch. She held her hand in the other as if she had been scorched. Dean stared wide-eyed at his mom then silently begged her and the others to help his fix this. He didn't know how much his heart could take before he himself was reduced to a sea of tears.

"Henry," his mom gently called. "Baby, you can't see Cas right now." Dean felt to floor give out beneath him as he forced his betrayed forest-green eyes on his mom. Henry only wailed harder. "You can't see him right now because he's sleeping sweetheart." His mother was lying to Henry.

"Yeah, buddy," Charlie said, catching on to what his mother was doing. "None of us can see Cas right now 'cause he's sleeping." He saw the look of comprehension overtake the faces of his remaining family members. (Everyone was now here, minus Jess, because Mrs. Jensen called Ellen asking about Cas and then word spread, and here they all were. His mom was going to kill her). But that didn't matter because Henry was no longer wailing, reduced now only to crying softly.

"I know you want to see Cas, sweetie," his mom said, holding up her hand again, looking uncertainly at her hand then Henry's back. After a few seconds of deliberation, she placed her hand on Henry's back, and this time he didn't move away. "But the doctor said we can't wake him up because he needs to sleep."

"But I wanna see Cas," Henry sniffled, and Dean almost feel to his knees in relief.

"We all wanna see Cas, baby," she assured him, "but the doctor said he needs to sleep so when he wakes up, he'll be as good as new."

"But I can sleep with him," Henry sniffed. "I promise I won't wake him up."

"I know," his mom told him, "but the doctor said the smallest noise can wake him, and we don't want to wake him, do we?"

Henry was quiet for a seconds before he conceded and said, "No." Henry used both his arms to push himself off Dean's chest. Dean wasted no time and surged forward to place a kiss on each of his wet cheeks. It broke his heart when Henry did nothing, obviously too cried out to protest. Henry then rested his forehead against Dean, slotting their noses besides each other, and sighed.

"We'll go see Cas as soon as he wakes up, buddy," Dean told him.

"Promise?" Henry asked.

"I promise. You and me." Dean placed his hand on the back of Henry's head, and Henry tensed up for a moment but then relaxed. He wouldn't card his fingers through his hair. He was going to leave that for Cas when they saw him.

They stayed in that position for a few minutes before a voice sounded from behind them. "Mr. Winchester?" Henry lifted his head, and Dean turned to see an a middle aged office with black hair and dark brown eyes standing behind him. He was wearing khaki pants and a white shirt with a bronze name tag the read: Ortiz. He was a few inches shorter than Dean with a very slim face and wide nose.

"Mom," Dean said, twisting around, and his mom came up to him and took Henry from him. He thanked his lucky stars that Henry went without a fuss.

"Yes, officer?" he asked after he faced the officer again.

"We learned for the EMT's that you were at the scene, and I'm here to take your statement," he answered.

"Oh, I really can't--"

"You don't need to come down to the station, I can take it right here," Office Ortiz told him.

"Okay," Dean said. "There isn't much to say. My son was in the middle of the road, and a car was coming towards him, and my friend ran up to him and pushed him out the way."

"Why was your son in the middle of the road?" Dean froze again. He had no idea how Henry got in the middle of the road, and he never found out.

"My ball rolled away from me," he heard Henry answered the same time Sam came to a stop next to him.

"Your ball?" Officer Ortiz asked.

"Yes," Sam answered, "his ball. He's minor," Sam continued when Officer Ortiz opened his mouth.

"Of course," the officer said. "How did you not noticed him chasing his ball?"

"My back was turned to him, but my friend was watching him," Dean answered. "He looked away from him for a second so he could tell me something then the next thing I knew I was being pushed out of the way, and you know the rest."

"Is that all?" he asked.

"Yeah," Dean answered. As if he could ever forget a single detail of the accident. But somehow the officer was surprised by this.

"You weren't aware that the driver was drunk?" Officer Ortiz frowned.

"No, I wasn't." Dean could feel anger bubble up inside him. Of course, the driver had to be drunk. Anyone sober enough would have been able to see Henry and push his or her break brakes in time. "I didn't stick around, just got on the ambulance with my friend."

"I--"

"Mark, we need to get this one back to the station," a brunette haired, gray-eyed officer said. He was also dress in khakis and a white shirt. He was much younger with a round nose to match his equally round face and was the same height as Dean. He had one hand on a man dressed in black jeans and a dark-gray sweat shirt. The guy had a full mustache and beard, but Dean could tell his was chisel under all that hair. He had light-blue eyes, about the same age as Sam, and at least three feet shorter than Sam. But the thing that caught Dean eyes was his swaying. Dean could tell that the Officer Anderson was the one holding him up. Dean had a guess who the guy was. His suspicions were confirmed when Officer Ortiz gaze shifted nervously between Dean and the guy.

Dean snapped then pounced. "YOU FUCKING BASTARD!" he screamed and tried to get to the other man, who recoiled in fear, but was restrained by Sam and Benny. "YOU ALMOST KILLED MY KID AND THE MAN I LOVE! YOU FUCKING BASTARD!"

"Get him out of here!" Officer Ortiz shouted to the partner who wasted no time and dragged the man whom Dean was fighting to get to.

"Dean, calm down!" Sam hissed.

"Come on, brother," Benny said, and Dean stopped struggling, but he was nowhere near calm.

"I have everything I need. Thank for you help, Mr. Winchester," Officer Ortiz said then high-tailed out of the room.

Sam and Benny dragged him and dumped him onto the couch. "Dude, breathe," Sam instructed as if Dean hadn't been doing the exact same thing. His breathing was haggard and erratic, but it was breathing nonetheless. He felt as if he had run a marathon, not tried to strangle the man who almost ran over his kid and put the man he loved in the hospital.

"Dean," Charlie called out to him.

"I'm trying," he gritted out. He was trying, but it was really hard to focus on breathing when all he wanted to do was find the bastard and put him in the hospital. He knew he would feel better if the guy was lying face down in a puddle of his own blood.

"Remember that yoga DVD I made you watch when I insisted I needed to learn yoga, or else Gilda was going to leave me for that yoga instructor?" Charlie asked. Dean didn't answer her, he just threw back his head and laughed.

"Fucking worst two hours of my life," he said, breathing more rugged now but the urge to maim dwindling. "And Gilda was never going to leave you for her yoga instructor. Her male yoga instructor."

"I really did overactive that time?" she asked.

"Yeah," he said, pushing himself until he got to his feet. "And I need to some air." He moved to exit the room, ignoring the twitter of protest he heard behind him.

"Let him go, Sam," he heard his mom say just as he was about to leave the room  then a groan.

"I'll be fine, Sammy," he threw over his shoulder. He exited the room and walked down the little stretch of hall the lead to the front desk and the exit, ignoring the stretch behind him where Cas was last seen.

"Still no word," Sayo said as she spotted him drawing nearer.

"Thanks, Sayo," Dean said. "Just going out for some fresh air."

He turned towards the exit and left. Once outside, he was assaulted by a gust of cool air. It was funny how the weather could be so nice during the day yet so cool at night. He only wished the weather would stay like this the entire summer, hell, maybe even the whole year.

Dean made a left and walked farther down the curved driveway the cars and ambulances used when dropping and picking up patients. Once a few yards away from the entrance, he braced himself up against the brown stoned building and breathed in deep. He then looked up and remembered why he loved living in a city like Lawrence instead of the big cities like New York or Los Angeles--the night sky. On nights like this, there are no clouds in the sky only white specks. It's was almost like Henry took a handful of glitter and threw it over his head everywhere he ran. The sky looked so peaceful and untouched and so insanely blue. Wasn't that one of the reasons why loved Cas's eyes so much? Because they reminded him of the night sky he grew up admiring?

"You must think this real funny?" Dean asked the sky before him. "Have him just waltz into our lives and make a place for himself in our hearts then what? Show us how easily you can take him away?" He didn't really know who was talking to. He really didn't care at this point. "Show us how you can easily give us something and how easily you can take it away? Well, you know what? We're not your fucking playthings and neither is he!" He stopped to run his fingers through his hair in frustration. "I never understood how people could put their faith in some god when he does things like this. Cas didn't do anything wrong. He just loved a kid that wasn't his own so much that he risked his own life for him and if he deserves to die for that then your are the sick bastard I always knew you were!" he shouted.

He gave a hollow laugh when he spotted a shooting star. "What was that supposed to mean? That you decided to humor me or your way of saying you have better things to do? Well, I don't care because you're going to listen to me! You're going to fucking give Cas back to me! Why? Because you fucking owe me this much. I've never asked you for anything in my life. I have worked hard for everything in my life, and not once asked you for anything. " He used his hands to scrub at his face. He wasn't even aware of when the tears started coming down. "When I found out about Henry, I thanked you every day since. I didn't have to, but I did it regardless of if you even cared or was even listening. I just did it. And when the three people I loved left me, I never once asked you to give them back to me, but I'm asking you now. Please, just give him back to me. Please. "

He pushed himself off the building and dabbed at his eyes. He couldn't let Henry know he was out here crying. He then took deep breaths, breathing with him stomach and not his chest and restrained from moving his shoulder. The yoga DVD wasn't a complete waste of time since he had used the breathing techniques on multiple occasions to get his breathing under control or to make himself lightheaded in attempt to forget why he was even upset in the first place. He took a couple more breaths, making sure his exhales far exceeded his inhales.

When he was convinced he was calm and not in danger of shouting at anyone else, he trekked back to the entrance. After he walked back through the automatic doors, he glanced at Sayo who shook her head with a gloomy smile on her face. How long did take to get an update on someone's conditions? Could Cas still be in surgery? Then again he was no surgeon and had no idea what the normal time duration for surgery was. He did, however, know the longer surgery took the more critical someone's condition was. That piece of information weighed heavily on Dean's body and mind.

Dean heaved a heavy sigh and traversed the path the led him to the waiting room. Upon entering the room, Henry was the first to spot him from the seat on his mom's laps and made grabby hand at him. Chuckling softly to himself, Dean rushed over and scooped him up then proceeded to kiss anywhere he could: his cheeks, his nose, his forehead, and his cheeks again.

"Dad," Henry whined and shuffled around in his arms. Dean would gladly take whining over crying any day.

"Feel better?" he heard his mom asked as he gazed at his son, noting that the puffiness around Henry's eyes was less prominent now.

He looked down at her and said, "Yeah."

"Great," she said. "Now you can help us figure out what the hell is wrong with Charlie."

"What?" he said, twisting his head to the couch where Charlie, Gilda and Ellen were sitting on. Ash and Bobby were standing behind the couch and Jo was setting on the armrest next to her mom. The red-head sitting close to this mom grinned widely at him to the point where he could only see slits of her pine-green eyes. How in the world could she smile at a time like this?

"She's been like that since you left," his brother said, once again standing next to him. "Well, not entirely true, she tried covering it up whenever someone looked at her. Part of me thinks she finds you trying to strangle someone hilarious and just afraid to show it." Charlie glowered at him.

"She kissed my cheeks, too," Henry frowned.

"Your aunt's a terrible person," Dean commiserated.

"Yeah," he sullenly agreed.

"Hey!" Charlie cried out indignantly. "Am not!"

"Are to," Dean responded sticking his tongue out.

"Am not. "

"Uh-huh," Henry butted in. And Dean was afraid his heart was going to burst. Everyone always said their kid was the best, Henry was by far the best.

"Okay, settle down, kids," his mom said, rolling her eyes while the others snickered.

"Funny," Dean said then jerked his head once as a way of asking 'what's up with you?'

"Don't mind me," said Charlie, "just reveling in certain words finally being spoken."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" asked a baffled Sam.

"If you don't know then I'm not saying anything." Dean confusion was chased away by frustration, and he had recently managed to center himself.

"Charlie," Dean scowled. Henry's head was swerving between the two of them in confusion.

"There are certain things I have no right to say or tell, Dean," She stated while staring so intently at him. Her face contorting in frustration when he failed to get her subtle message.

"I don't get it," he told her.

"Obviously," she remarked, rolling her eyes as she looked away from him.

"God, Charlie, just tell us what you mean," Sam hissed, obviously having reached his limit. It had been a trying day for them all.

"I can't" she said, " because it's something I have no right to tell." She gave him the same intense stare from before.

Then it hit him. Their conversation from weeks ago flashing in his mind followed by his sudden and violent outburst from earlier. "Oh," he flushed.

"Yeah," she said with a smile on her face instead of the exasperated look he was so used to seeing from her.

"Care to share with the class?" said a wide-eyed Sam.

"No," he said without missing a beat. "If you didn't catch it the first time then I'm not repeating it." A sharp intake of breath caused him to flinch back. He could never think before he spoke. He didn't need to know whom the gasp came from considering he had heard the gasp enough times in his life--having cause it on multiple occasions--to pick it out of a crowded room.

"Oh, my god," another gasp came, and Dean didn't want to open his eyes.

"Oh," Dean heard and opened his eyes and looked to his right to see his astonished brother.

"I don't get it," his dad said, dragging his chair next to his mom's and taking a seat.

"It's that certain something we promised not to talk about, dear."

His face face shifted from confusion to comprehension within seconds, and he exclaimed a soft, "Oh."

"Excuse me?" Dean scowled at his parents and was deeply satisfied when they looked embarrassed.

"On Sam's birthday, you did tell us not to meddle anymore," she pointed out and then the room erupted in a flurry of 'Oh's.' Dean unabashedly groaned and buried his face in Henry's shoulder--an oddly quiet Henry.

After Dean resurfaced and took in the looks around him--surprise was prevalent for the most part,except smirking came from his dad and Ash, then again Ash was always smirking, and eagerness for Charlie and his mom. He groaned again.

"Fine," he huffed out. " I like Cas. There I finally said it."

"Dude, you said more than that," Jo smirked at him then smirked harder when he glowered at her.

Charlie jumped out of her seat, almost elbowing Gilda, and stood beside his dad. "I'm really curious now," she commented. "Show of hands, who knew Dean was in love with Cas?" Dean was about to object to her statement, but in his fit of rage, he did admit he loved Cas.

"Ellen?" Dean choked when she raised her hands among the other people he knew were aware.

"You have been drinking at my bar for years, Dean," she stated. "I have seen your eyes wonder in various stages of drunkenness to various people." And yet again, he flushed.

"Well, I didn't notice that!" Jo shouted, looking far too betrayed at her mother.

"You spent most of your time glaring at anyone who got close to Ash to notice that he even liked you. What makes you think you would have noticed that?"

Dean turned to share his smirk with Sam only to sputter. "Sam?!" he shrieked, staring at his brother's still raised hand in abject horror.

"You're my brother," Sam responded as if that explained everything, "and you have an unnatural obsession with Dr.Sexy."

"Screw you, bitch."

"Right back at ya, jerk."

"Give me strength," their mom said, tilting her head skyward. The rest of burst out laughing except Charlie.

"This is hilarious and all," Charlie sarcastically said, "but are we going to ignore the fact that Henry raised his hand?!" Silence than filled the room as everyone glanced at Henry with wide eyes. Henry who frowned at them all and tightened his grip on Dean's shirt collar.

"What?" Henry said when the opened mouths faced him but no words came out.

"You raised your hand when I-I--"

"Yeah," he cut her off in a confusion laced voice. "Is Aunty Charlie okay?" he asked Dean. "Dad?" Henry called when Dean didn't respond to him.

"You knew?" Dean asked in disbelief.

"Yeah," Henry answered, looking at Dean as if he was being silly.

"How long?" Dean questioned to which Henry just shrugged. Then something very important occured to Dean. "You sneaky little--"

"Dean!" his mother cut him off.

"He's been trying to set Cas and me up," he informed her. Meddling in other people's love life was something he had hope Henry wouldn't inherit.

"Really?" asked a thoroughly amused Charlie.

Dean glared at her before answering. "He has. For the past couple of days he would leave Cas and me to ourselves and go off somewhere." Henry bowed his head and twiddled his thumbs. "And he also made sure we were never separated for very long. He even had both of us stay with him during bath time."

"Oh my," Gilda exclaimed.

"Oh, it gets better,"  he told her. "He had both Cas and I on his bed, on either side of him during bedtime." Henry sank lower in his father's arms.

"You, Henry Johnathan Winchester, are wonderful."

"Charlie!" Dean glared, ignoring how Henry snapped his head up and smiled at Charlie. "Okay, enough," he said raising his voice a little louder. "That is the end of this discussion."

"De--"

"Yes!" Charlie shouted over Jo. "Dean's right," she continued, earning a plethora of raised eyebrows. "He has said all he needs to, and we're going to accept it and be happy for him. Right?" There was then a chorus of assent, some more reluctantly than others.

"And you," Dean said, poking Henry stomach, "have some explaining to do, but not right right now. Right now we need to get you some food."

"Okay," Henry sullenly said.

"Great," Dean said and kissed his forehead.

Charlie was right. Henry was wonderful for trying so hard to give Dean wanted he wanted. It was going to be so much harder to explain to him, while his intentions were good they weren't the right ones when only one party was in love with the other.

~~~★~~~

Dean was really rethinking his earlier assumption about Henry being wonderful.

"Buddy, you really need to go to sleep," Dean pleaded with his pouty three-year-old.

"No," he said, crossing his arms.

"But you're sleepy, bud," Dean gently said.

"No, I'm not," Henry vehemently defended.

"Yeah, you are," Dean refuted. Henry had been nodding off for the past five minutes. Every time he did, he would wake himself up and vigorously shake his head.

"No."

"Henry," Dean whined.

"You're gonna take me home if I do," he whispered, and Dean felt like he was slapped in the face.

"Buddy," Dean tiredly said, pulling him out of the chair he was sitting in into his arms. "I'm not going to take home. You and me are going sleep on the couch here." He silently thanked Jess for pulling some strings and allowing them to stay here as long as possible.

"Yeah?" Henry muttered into Dean's shoulder.

"Yeah," Dean whispered. "I promised you I would take you to see Cas as soon as he wakes, and you need to be here for that to happen."

"Yeah," he agreed then yawned.

"Are you going to go to sleep now?" Dean asked, and Henry nodded his head. "All right," Dean said then stood up. He walked to the couch that everyone had abandoned and lay down.

"I'll get him," his dad said, coming over and lifting Henry up then handing him to Dean. Henry lay down on Dean chest and sighed. Dean hid his smile among Henry's hair.

"The next time you wake up will be when you get to see Cas," Dean told Henry, gently stroking his hand up and down Henry's back.

"You promise?" he asked a quiet voice.

Dean paused for a moment. He didn't know if he could promise that. He and his family still hadn't heard word about Cas's condition, and it had been nine hours since they got here. "I promise." He hoped Cas would be awake by then.

Dean looked out the entrance of the waiting room as Henry's breathing evened out. Just then a figure walked past the double doors. A pale petite woman who was about a foot shorter than him with an angular face and bright red-hair. She had on a light-green strapless dress that was ruffled from the waist down. Closely behind her was a man who was a few inches taller than Dean was. Unlike the woman, he face was less angular and he had a more pronounced cheekbone and he had a light tan skin color. He was in a black suit with a white shirt and no tie.

For the second time tonight, something significant occurred to Dean.

"Shit," he swore.

"What?" his mom asked, coming out of nowhere and sitting herself down on the chair by his head.

"Cas's family doesn't know what happened to him," Dean answered. How in the world could they had forgotten something important as that?

"Shit," his mom swore. Normally he would tease her about that, but he was too busy drowning in guilt. Cas's family was going to kill him for calling them so late.

"Someone needs to get in touch with them," Dean told her.

"I think Kali gave Sam her number," she informed Dean. "I'll call him." Sam had previously went to see Jess to find out if she knew why they still hadn't heard anything about Cas yet.

"Let's hope she doesn't skin us alive for calling so late," Dean said.

"We were worried. She'll understand." He certainly hoped so.

~~~★~~~

The moment Anael Milton walked into room 314, her heart stopped then took off like a marathon runner. Her baby brother--granted he was only under two minutes younger than her--was lying on a hospital bed in a reclined position completely dead to the world. Just looking at him, she could stay that was true but the steady rhythm of the heart monitor told her otherwise. Cassie was in a white hospital gown that was covered in blue diamond-shaped shapes that were comprised of smaller ones.

"Bluebird," she brokenly whispered as she forced her legs to move, taking her a couple yards toward her brother's bed. "Bluebird," she whispered again as she stroked her finger along his cheek then over the the stitches over his left eyes. The soft light from above illuminated his blank face.

"Anna," she heard Jeff call out to her, and she turned to see her husband standing next to Dr. Hansen.

"Eric," Anna said.

"Hello, Anna," he greeted her. "As nice as it is to see you, I wished it would've been under more amicable circumstances."

"Me, too," she said then turned back to look at Cassie. "How is he?" She knew he would understand what she actually meant.

"He broke his left arm in two places--"

"You gave him a green cast," she weakly smiled, rubbing her index finger over the light-green cast.

"Though he might like it," he said and two sets of footsteps got closer to her.

"Thank you."

"No problem," Eric side. "The right side of his head connected with road thus the bandages. A few bruised ribs. He got lucky and avoided any neck or back injury." He then paused.

"Thanks for starting with the good news first," she said even though every word that came out his mouth was a stab to her heart.

Eric took a deep breath then continued, "There was massive internal hemorrhaging." Anna took a sharp intake of air and squeezed the hand she was holding. "Lost a lot of blood, and we were low on his blood group. Had to get a different hospital to send some over."

"Do you need more?" Anna asked. "Cassie and I are in the same blood group."

"That won't be necessary, Anna," Eric assured her.

"What else?" Anna asked.

"That's it," Eric said.

"What?" she exclaimed, finally looking at him.

"Yeah, Castiel got out of it without any internal damage aside from the hemorrhaging," he informed her. "He even avoided any brain damage."

"T-that's--"

"I wouldn't question it, Anna," he sternly told her. "Just accept that for whatever reason your brother made it out alive and with very little damage. Maybe he thought of something at the last minute, or he just got extremely lucky."

"Okay," she swallowed then noted that he shifted on his feet. "Something wrong?"

"I forgot to mentioned that his heart did stop," he said, looking extremely apologetic.

"What?" Jeff then came up to her and wrapped an arm around her.

"Twice." Yet again, her heart took off.

"Anna, calm down," Jeff said, pulling her close. "Castiel is going to be fine. There's no need to dwell on what happened."

"You're right," she breathed out. How could she not? His heart stopped twice.

"I'll leave the two alone then," Eric said then turned.

"Thank you," she said.

"I was more than happy to help," he said as he walked out the room.

Anna focused her attention back to her brother. The brother she almost lost today. She started stroking the back of his hand with her thumb before she asked, "When will the others be here?"

"Gabe said in an hour or so," Jeff answered and kissed the top of her head.

"Did he calm Balthazar down?" she asked, and Jeff chuckled.

"Gabe said Kali slapped him," he responded. She was immensely glad no-one needed to do that to her. Not that she even had time to panic when she found out. The second she got the call, she and Jeff left the restaurant, headed home for their emergency bags then sped to the airport. The entire plane ride was filled with endless possibilities of what would become of her brother, but she was immensely grateful for this possibility. "He'll be fine, Anna."

"I know, but I still can't help but worry."

He kissed her head again and said, "Just think of it this way: in a matter of hours, he'll be awake and you can yell at him to your heart's content for worrying you."

She certainly hoped so.

~~~★~~~

The first Cas noticed as he slowly regained consciousness was pain--an immense amount of pain that was primarily emanating from his left arm and the left side of his head. The second thing he noticed was an ensemble of hushed voice. Cas slowly opened his eyes to survey his surroundings.

The first thing he noticed was a head of red hair that was facing away from him. Said redhead was wearing a silky green. Standing at the foot of the bed he was apparently lying on were a light-brown haired man with a large pointy nose in a brown jacket and black buttoned shirt, a brownish-blonde haired man with a smaller nose and too much wrinkles in a ligh-great t-shirt with a low neckline, and a black haired woman with a nose to match the first man in a white blouse with ruffles on the front. They were in a semicircle with woman in the middle

Maybe it wasn't too late to go back to sleep.

"Bluebird!" Gabriel yelled as he eyes almost shut. He would've groaned had he not felt a sharp pain to his head like someone--Gabriel--stuck a pin in his head. He then belatedly realized that his left arm was in cast. The broken bones would account for the pain he was feeling.

"Must you shout," Anna scolded him. "Come on, bluebird, open your eyes." The thumb stroking the back of his hand did wonders to soothe his pain.

"If I don't open my eyes then I can pretend you're all not here," he rasped out. He might not have groaned, but he did hear three men groan. His eyes flew open, and he spotted Jeff standing next to Anna. "When did you arrive?" he asked Jeff. The stroking stopped.

"I was at the door when you opened your eyes," he answered. "Wanted to see how long before the others noticed."

"Ah," Cas said then promptly shut his eyes.

"Bluebird!" three different voices shouted, and he winced.

"Headache," he informed them but couldn't get over the nagging feeling that he was forgetting something.

"Sorry," Anna apologized as she resumed her previous action. He always liked when she did this when he was sick. He was sure that--

His eyes flew open again, and  he gasped. "Henry."

"Who?" Gabriel and Balthazar said at the same time, and he glared at them.

"He's fine," Anna assured him, but it did little to appease him. He would assured of that fact once Henry was right in front of him. All he needed to do now was get out of this accursed bed and then this hospital. "Castiel, lie back down!" Anna screeched and pushed against his chest with her hand.

"Anna, let me up," he commanded when she didn't remove her hand. "I need to see him."

"Dr. Hansen said he's fine. No relax," Anna commanded.

"Doctor who? And why is he looking after Henry? Why is Henry even in the hospital? Henry wasn't supposed to get hurt!" His mind was suddenly overwhelmed with images of Henry lying lifeless on the road in a pool of his own blood. Cas was so focused on the image he didn't hear to heart monitor go haywire with his erratic heartbeats.

"BLUEBIRD!"Anna shouted, cupping his face with both her hands, snapping him out his panicking. "Henry's not in the hospital!"

"Then was was Dr.Hansen looking after him?!" he demanded.

"He got a scrape on his arm that needed to be cleaned from when you pushed him out the way," she answered him, eyes flickering to the heart monitor. "Now, calm down."

Cas breathed in deep for a few minutes to calm himself down. "Sorry," he said after the heart monitor informed him of his steady heartbeat. "Phone."

"What?" Anna frowned at the offered palm.

"I need your phone to call him," he answered, not trying to mask his irritation.

"Bluebird, you need to rest," Gabriel said from the foot of his bed.

"I won't be able to rest or relax until I know Henry is okay," he told them. Why was this so hard for them to comprehend? He needed to at least hear Henry's voice.

"Here," Jeff said  and held out his already unlocked iPhone.

"Thank you," Cas said, taking the phone from him, and wasting no time, he dialed Dean's number. "It went straight to voicemail," he remarked, ignoring the looks they were giving his heart monitor.

"Did it just--"

"No, it didn't," Cas snapped at Gabriel who had enough sense to shut his mouth. "I'll tried again," he said and scowled when they all looked at his heart monitor. "It went to voice-mail again." Not that any of them were listening. He was sure the wide grins they were all wearing impaired their hearing. "Ahem." They all looked back to him, but not one of them was embarrassed. "I can't get through to Dean, and I can't remember the others' numbers off the top of my head."

"One of us could go to his house?" Jeff suggested, always the pragmatist.

"Dean's most likely at work, so one of you is going to have to go there," Cas told them.

"I'll go," Jeff told him. "I doubt the others will want to leave your side."

"He works at Winchester & Singer Auto body Shop. When you get there, ask for Dean. He's about two inches taller than me. He's the light-brunette one with really clear forest-green eyes. He has freckles on his cheeks, but not too many. He always styles his hair to the right and in a peak formation, and...and why are you all looking at me like that?" Not one of their faces was without a smirk.

"Nothing, sweetie," Anna said, patting his leg. "Carry on."

"Sure," he slowly said but decided to move away from Dean. "You'll most likely run into Charlie first thought. She a red-head like Anna." He stopped and furrowed his eyebrows. "Considering all that have happened yesterday, Dean most likely took Henry with him. So look for a mini version of Dean--"

"With a lot more freckles on his face?" Jeff interrupted by asking.

"Yeah," Cas answered, eying him suspiciously.

"Charlie, she's just as pale as Anna?" he asked.

"Excuse me," said Anna indignantly.

"Yes," Cas answered, ignoring the glare Anna shot her husband. "How do you know that?"

"They're in the waiting room," Jeff told him. "And bunch of other people, too."

"Why are they here?" he asked then frowned when Anna turned her glare onto him. It was a reasonable question. Dean would've taken Henry home due to his dislike of hospital. Mary accidentally mentioned once how it reminded Dean of the night Jennifer left him with Henry.

"They're obviously here because they're worried about you, you idiot," Anna said then hit his leg. And Cas glowered at her but was considerably warm on the inside.

"They were here last night, too," Jeff informed him. "I just didn't know who they were."

"We should go meet them," Gabriel announced and clapped his hand together.

"No!" Cas shouted. "Everyone stay put. Jeff will go tell them I'm awake."

"Sure," Jeff said and turned to leave.

"Wait!" Cas yelled before Jeff left. "When you see them tell them that Anael has a message for Henry." Jeff arched an eyebrow. "Trust me." Jeff shrugged and left. Cas turned back to his family and sighed. "Go ahead."

"And do what?" Balthazar asked. Cas was beginning to wonder when he would hear his voice again.

"Yell," he answered.

"We were going to up until the point we walked in and saw how much pain you were in," Balthazar said, coming to his left side. "You were always a peaceful sleeper, but kept wincing in pain when we got here. The even had to up your pain meds."

"You really scared us," Gabriel said. "Especially since you were so far away from any of us."

"Michael and Lucifer should count themselves lucky right now," Anna darkly said.

"Anna," he defeatedly said.

"None of this would have happened if they had never thrown you out," she hissed.

"And I would've never met Henry," he reminded her and took her hand in his. He could never imagine not knowing Henry now. Or Dean.

"Just, don't scare us like that again," Gabriel desperately requested. "We already lost dad and we're not ready to lose anyone else."

"I know," he sighed. "But I couldn't help it. I just reacted. I had to save him."

"Too much heart was always your problem, bluebird," Balthazar smiled fondly at him. He really missed being called 'bluebird,' but had no objections to being called 'Cas.'

"Okay," Gabriel said, and Cas winched. He loathed that tone of voice. "Are we going to talk about what happened earlier?"

"No, we are not," he firmly stated. "And no amount of pouting is going to make me change my mind so don't even start."

"Meanie."

God, did he miss this--miss them.

~~~★~~~

Let it be known that whenever Henry Johnathan Winchester was unhappy Dean Nathaniel Winchester was also equally unhappy.

"How hard is it to tell us if a patient is awake?" Dean angrily asked as he paced back and forth with and equally upset Henry in his arms. It had been more than twelve hours since Cas was admitted, and they had yet to hear anything. The only information the front desk had was his name and cause of admittance. How in the world did someone not have record of a patient they operated on?

"Dean, calm down," his mom said, and he stopped and narrowed his eyes at her. She huffed and rolled her eyes, so he went back to pacing. They should all be grateful that Henry wasn't crying, clearly more annoyed than worried.

"I really don't know how they have no records of Cas?" Jess whispered to his mom, but Dean stilled heard her.

"Is Cas awake yet?" Henry asked.

"Not yet, buddy," Dean answered. "But if he doesn't wake up soon, we're going to check every room until we find him."

"Dean!" his mom exclaimed.

"Really?" Henry asked.

"Yeah," he told him. Dean was at his wit's end.

"Dean!"

Dean stopped again to respond to his mom, but before he could say anything someone cleared their throat from behind him. Dean whirled around, and his eyebrows met his hairline when he saw who was standing in front of him. It was the guy from yesterday, and he was wearing the same clothes. However, this time his shirt was untucked, and a couple of his buttons were unbuttoned.

"Hey," the stranger said, smiling at them. Dean could hear shuffling feet and moving chairs behind him.

"Hey," Dean cautiously said and instinctively pulled Henry closer. His mom came up to flank him on his right side and his dad did the same on his left side.

"Jeffrey...or Jeff, whichever you prefer," the guy said with his hand extended in front of him.

"Dean," Dean said and grabbed the guy's hand in a firm grip. He had to give the guy credit for keeping a straight face when Dean almost crushed his hand. Maybe Dean wasn't going to crush the guy's hand, but it was a clear warning of what would happen if he tried anything funny. "How can I help you...Jeff?"

"Oh, no," Jeff said, shaking his head. "I'm just here to deliver a message from Anael." A sharp intake of breath came dangerously close to Dean's ear.

"Who?" his mom asked.

"Anael!" Henry excitedly shouted before Jeff could so much as open his mouth. Dean stared wided-eyed at his son. Who in the world was Anael? And how did she--he was going to assume it was a she--know Henry?

"Who is Anael, sweetie?" his mom asked, rubbing Henry's arm.

"Cas's sister!" he animatedly answered. Dean really hoped he wasn't the only that sagged in relief. His relief quickly gave way to confusion. How did Cas's sister know he was here? Did the others? They still hadn't gotten a hold of Kali.

"And my wife," Jeff added with a hint of pride in his voice.

"The redhead in the green dress?" Dean raised an eyebrow at Jeff.

Jeff's eyes widened in surprise before he responded, "Yes. How did you know?"

"I saw both of you walk past here last night," he confessed.

"I walked passed here twice since then and had no idea who your were," Jeff sadly smiled.

"That's all in the past, boys," his mom commented. "How's Cas?"

"Cas is fine. Tired and sore but fine," Jeff answered, looking from Dean's face to Henry's. Dean wasn't sure if he was lying, or he didn't want to go into detail with Henry being here. If Jeff's reasoning was the latter then he was a more than an okay guy in Dean's book. "He woke up not too long ago and asked to see Henry. Actually he tried calling you, but your phone went straight to voice-mail." He stopped and quickly smirked before continuing. "We didn't know you guys were here or we would have told you about his condition sooner." Dean paid little mind to the smirk, more focused on the burst of warmth in his chest at hearing the first thing Cas did when he woke up was asked for Henry. Dean really shouldn't be surprised since Cas did jump in front of a car for him.

"About that," Dean heard Jess pipe up before standing next to his mom. "Do you know why the front desk had no information on Cas?"

Jeff frowned at her question before his eyes widened a little. "That's probably Dr.Hansen doing. He probably didn't want to log his report on Cas until Anna and I got here, then probably forgot to do it after we got here. I'll have to remind him the next time I see him."

"You wife knows Dr.Hansen?" asked a surprised Jess.

"Yep. They met over a year ago at a conference in Washington."

"I wanna see Cas," Henry announced with crossed arms and a pout.

"And he really wants to see you," Jeff smiled fondly at Henry. "Demanded actually. Refused to go back to sleep till he saw you." Dean didn't need another reason to love Cas yet here it was.

"Really?"

"Of course," Jeff enthusiastically affirmed. "And we should really be going before he comes looking for us." A chorus of chuckles followed. "Come on, " Jeff said and turned around.

"You and Henry should go," his mom said and Jeff stopped.

"You all come and say 'hi,'" he said over his shoulder. "Anna made sure he got a big room, so you guys don't have to worry about crowding him." Dean didn't quite know what he meant by 'made sure.'

"Dad," Henry whined, and there was no more talking. Dean and the rest of them followed Jeff out the room and a few paces down the hall the Cas was taken down, before he stopped at a door the led to the stairs.

"Faster this way than taking the elevator. Less people and the elevator takes forever to come," he told them and pushed the door open.

As relieving as every step took them closer to Cas, Dean couldn't help but feel anxious. Jeff only mentioned that Cas was fine, and while Dean appreciated the reassurance, but he never mentioned the extent of Cas injuries. For all Dean knew, Cas could be in a full body cast. Or worst, he could be missing a body part of two. Jeff could in fact be lying and Cas was hanging onto dear life and Jeff just wanted to spare them the pain as long as possible. By the time the got to the third floor, Dean's heartbeat was everywhere and sweat was accumulating everywhere.

Jeff stopped and looked both sides of the hall before he said "Ah" then walked left. And Dean instantly relaxed when he heard laughter streaming through the door of the room Jeff had stopped at.

Jeff wasn't kidding when he said the room was big; it was the about the size of his living room. The hardwood floor was beige while the walls and ceiling were a sky blue color. He should say all the wall since the one straight in front of him was just glass and panes. Next to the windows was a black couch that, and by the look it, could be pulled out and be used as a bed. In addition the couch were five dark-gray chairs, three of which were up against the right wall, and the last two were against the wall that housed the door.

The most important thing, or he should say person, was reclined in the hospital bed, dressed in a white gown. He had bandages wrapped around his forehead and part of his head, and his left arm was in a cast and sling. He had a exasperated yet fond look on his face. Dean's knees buckled a little. Cas was fine.

"CAS!" Henry screamed, and five heads whipped in the direction of the door. Henry started squirming, and Dean put him down, wondering if he imagined the tiny change in the steady beeping that filled the room. Henry took off toward the the bed and tried climbing up but to no anvil.

"Anna," Cas said, and the redhead jumped off the foot of the bed, leaving Kali there, and lifted Henry up  Once he was up in the air, Henry shot out of Anna's grasp and catapulted into Cas. Cas hissed through his teeth and the steady beeping wasn't so steady any longer. Henry recoiled back, and Dean shot forward but stopped halfway to the bed when Anna caught Henry. The two men who were standing on the left side of Cas almost tripped over each other to comfort Cas, but the shorter brown-haired one got the honor, since he was closer, and started petting Cas and asking Cas where he was hurting.

"I'm sorry," Henry sniffed. Anna placed Henry on the bed and went back to sitting on the foot of the bed. Henry was on his knees with a streak of tears running down his cheek.

"It's okay, sweetheart," Cas said in a tight voice, cupping Henry's cheek with his right hand and wiping away Henry's tears with his thumb. "You didn't know." Anna's eyes kept shifting from Cas's face to the machines behind him while she had a hand on Cas's leg. Dean was too frozen in place to do anything. Cas frowned then softly remarked, "You haven't been sleeping." Dean's mom gripped his upper right arm. "How much sleep did you get?"

"Dad said--" Henry stopped, brought his fisted hand up then raised one finger after another, "--four hours." And sure enough, he presented four raised fingers to Cas.

"He knows how to count?" Dean found himself asking. Henry only ever just repeated the numbers he knew.

"He always knew how to count, Dean," Cas said, looking at him, and Dean wasn't happy with bags under his eyes but was happy to note that his eyes were the same as ever. "He now knows how to group things together, and he can now count up to--" Cas stopped and gazed back at Henry with a questioning eyebrow.

"Twelve!" he shouted, grinning at Cas.

"Really?" asked his bewildered mom.

"Yeah," Cas smiled at her. "He's advanced for his age." He looked back to Henry and said, "And smart little boys need their sleep." Cas then tugged Henry forward, gritted his teeth as Henry made himself comfortable and glared at his family members when they moved closer to him. At the end of all the movement, Henry was plastered to Cas's side with his head on Cas's chest and one hand on Cas's collar. Dean made a move to protest but stopped when Henry audibly sigh.

"Should he--"

"No," Henry and Cas said, but Cas went a step further and glared at the taller man with the low neckline shirt. Yesterday's event and Cas's previous action showed just how deep Cas affections for his son ran.

"When are you coming home?" Henry mumbled. He hadn't even been next to Cas for a minute yet, and he was already dozing off.

"That's a really good question," Cas mused in an overly sardonic tone. Anna threw back her head and rolled her eyes, the guy in the brown jacket threw his hands in the air then plopped onto the couch, low-neckline guy groaned and shook his head in exasperation and Kali sat down on the couch next to the first guy. Dean figured out the brown jacket guy must be Gabriel when said guy hugged Kali and bury his head in her shoulder. Dean was clearly missing something.

Anna, being the first to recover, said, "We already discussed this, bluebird. You need to stay here for two more days."

"Bluebird?" a tired voice questioned. So, Dean wasn't the only one that picked up on the nickname.

"It's the nickname my dad gave me," Cas answered.

"Like how you call me ''lil prince?'" Henry yawned. Only the beeping of Cas's machines was heard but even the beeping was uncomfortable. Dean was really rethinking calling Henry 'wonderful.'

"Or how your dad calls you 'buddy' or 'Ry,'" Cas responded, shifting around a bit.

Henry then suddenly looked up at Cas. "Two day?"

"I know," Cas lamented. He then lean closer to Henry and stage whispered, "I think Anna threatened my doctor." Henry burst into a fit of giggles. And Dean felt the tension in his body gave way by a fraction. It seemed like forever since his son laughed or, in this case, giggled.

"I did not," she defended. "Don't believe a word he says, Henry."

"She also thinks you're adorable." And there was the glare that a majority of the room knew was coming. Dean felt a sharp blow to his heart. Cas had never been this teasing with any of them. Sure, she was his sister, but it hurt regardless.

"Bluebird!" Anna shouted then looked pleadingly at Henry. "You're not adorable; you're a very handsome little boy." Cas threw back his head and laughed or at least tried to before he abruptly stopped.

"Ow-ow-ow-ow."

"Cas?" Henry quietly said, lifting his head off Cas's chest to look worriedly at Cas.

"Sorry, 'lil prince," Cas grimaced. "Apparently, I bruised a few ribs."

"That's it," Anna said, jumping off the bed. "We're upping your pain meds and putting you to sleep."

"Fine. I'll behave," Cas sullenly said. There was the feeling of missing something important again.

"Me, too," Henry promised with his head securely back on Cas's chest. Anna's shoulders sagged, and Dean was having very conflicting feelings about his son.

Jeff brushed passed Dean to get to his wife--Dean forgot he was still behind him--and walked up to his wife's side. "How about we give Castiel a chance to introduce us first before we knock him out?" All of sudden, Cas family were all on their feet and looking at the strange group blocking the entrance to the room. And they waited. And waited.

"Castiel," the low neckline guy hissed under his breath. Cas should really get a move on introducing them.

"I was hoping to prolong any mention of embarrassing childhood stories," Cas evenly said. "Kali had already provided Mary with enough as it is."

"No need to worry, brother-mine," Anna responded. "We're saving those for when you're out cold."

"Honeybees," his mom said, and Cas whipped his head to the right to stare at her with comically wide eyes.

Cas then looked at Kali and shouted, "When did you tell her about that?! I was with you the entire time?!" Yet again, Dean was stabbed in his chest. He wanted to know these things about Cas. Petulant? Yes, but he couldn't help it. He tried controlling his emotions and that only made him treat Cas like a stranger. And there was his answer. He caused this. He caused Cas keep to himself.

"Honeybees?" Henry asked.

"Yes. Honeybees," Anna affirmed, looking at Henry, "and there is a very lovely story about them, too."

"Mitchell," Cas uttered. The two men and Kali smirked.

"I lied. There are no honeybees and no story," Anna stated and quickly looked away. Cas made himself more comfortable in bed while his smirk did the same on his face. Henry only frowned.

"It's probably a dry story anyway," Jeff stated. "Mitchell on the--" Anna elbowed her husband in the side, and he grinned at her.

"Cassie-I mean Cas was going to introduce us," she smiled softly at them.

"Okay," Cas said, taking a breath and wincing. Dean twitched, but he was sure only Anna saw it. And he thanked her in his head for not making it known. She did, however, frown. "I guess I'll start from my left," Cas said. "First we have Jo, and behind her is Ash. Next to Jo is Ellen and behind her is Bobby. Next to Ellen is Jess and behind her is Sam. Next to Jess is Mary and behind her is John. Then there's Dean--" his named sounded strained, and Dean didn't know if it was due to lack of air, pain, or resentment? "-- and finally next to him is Charlie and behind her is Gilda."

"Breathe, Castiel," low-neckline guy instructed, looking more pained than Cas. It would appear it was pain instead of what else Dean was thinking.

Cas took a few breaths before he continued. "The redhead in front is my sister, Anna, and next to her is her husband, Jeffery. You already know Kali. Next to her is my third eldest brother and her husband, Gabriel. And finally is my fourth eldest brother, Balthazar."

"It's nice to finally meet all of you," Anna said.

"Same to you," his mom responded. "Cas talks a lot about all of you." Dean was surprised by her statement. She said it with absolute truth. Dean knew Cas talked to his mom. He apparently didn't realize how much for her statement to be true. His mother knew more about the man living in his house than he did.

"All good I hope?" Anna chuckled.

"Absolutely," his mom confirmed, and Cas flushed, adding color to his much paler cheeks. Dean wouldn't know his mom winked at Cas, considering how he couldn't help but look from Cas to Henry. It was evident Cas was in pain but was willing to battle through it for Henry. Dean had to make things right with Cas and in time make things better between them.

"Good," Anna smiled, but not with her entire face. She looked at Cas then back to his mom. "And we should probably take this conversation somewhere else, so Cas and Henry can rest." Cas threw his head back, which wasn't very far, and groaned in utter exasperation startling Dean, his family and Jeff. The Novaks either sighed or rolled their eyes.

Kali, noting their confusion, took pity on them. "Cas has never been fond of hospitals." And the missing feeling Dean felt melted away like snow falling from the sky to the still heated ground.

"That's an understatement," Balthazar chuckled, at least an octave higher than Cas.

"At least we don't have to bribe him anymore," Gabriel added with a smirk. But Cas did not look amused.

"It's only for two more days, bluebird," Anna tried to comfort Cas, attaching the endearment at the end with an undertone of love and affection more prominent than what Dean first heard when he entered the room. Cas sighed and smiled softly at her, returning the love and affection with a look Dean hadn't only seen directed at Henry.

The moment was interrupted by Gabriel who repeatedly slapped at Balthazar shoulder in childish glee like he happened to spot his favorite celebrity out of the blue.

"Gabriel, what the hell is wrong with you?" Balthazar asked, pushing him away in frustration.

"Language," Cas reprimanded, and Henry giggled. Dean assumed that he'd fallen asleep, but it didn't seem so.

"Anna, how long are you here for?" Gabriel asked, ignoring them both, much to the annoyance of his two brothers.

She twisted in her husband's embrace to answer him. "I can only stay until Sunday. I would stay longer, but I have too much to do. Why?"

"Perfect!" he clapped his hands with a mischievous grin on his face. The look looked way too at home on his face for Dean's liking. "Kali and I will stay until then, too. Balty?"

"Why bother asking? I know that look, and you're going to make me stay no matter what," he responded, not at all put out but intrigued. One look told Dean Cas was just as distressed by the look as he was.

"Great," he told him then looked back to his sister. "Two days, right?"

"Gabriel, any self-respecting doctor would tell stress isn't good for a recovering patient and right now I'm stressed to the max," Cas glowered, but Gabriel continued to ignore them in favor of looking beseechingly at his sister.

"Yes," she warily answered.

"Excellent," Gabriel cheerily said. "You rest up, bluebird. We have planning to do."

"Planning for what?!" Cas shouted then slammed his mouth shut with the most emotions Dean had ever seen on his face. His face was much redder now due to his utter exasperation and frustration but apprehension in his eyes. Nothing can quite rile a person up like family. And Dean was starting to think that Cas really didn't consider them family. "No,"  he said after a beat but not long enough for the others to go from confused to giddy. Well, not all since Jeff stilled looked confused. Dean could relate. He really could.

"Your confined to a bed so you can't stop me this time," Gabriel bounced up and down in place in excitement. His childish demeanor could put Henry's to shame. Dean was odly proud of that. 

"Anna," Cas desperately pleaded. Dean only wanted to hold him more or to punch his brother.

"There's only so much he can do here without a house of his own," Anna reassured him. Cas wasn't reassured. Gabriel head did snap up, and he looked straight at Dean.

Cas followed his line of sight then looked back at Gabriel at an alarming rate. Cas vigorously shook. "No-no-no-no."

"I'm going to have to agree with him, Gabriel," Anna sternly stated.

"Spoilsport," he pouted.

"Okay, what's going on here?" Bobby asked, seemingly, the only brave one to ask.

"Nothing," Cas answered, looking at him while Gabriel stood with his mouth open. Cas looked at his brother again, and Gabriel cast his eyes down and smirked. Cas let out a resigned sigh and sagged in bed.

"Saturday is Cassie's birthday!" Gabriel cheered while Castiel sank lower.

"What?!" Henry yelled, shooting up and beating them all.

"Gabriel!" Cas hissed. But Dean could tell his outburst wasn't from anger since Henry had a hand pressed to his ribcage.

"Cas?" Henry quietly called.

Cas released a gust of air then looked up at Henry who still had his hand on Cas's chest. "I thought you fell asleep."

"Cas," Henry whined.

"Yes, Henry. My birthday is on Saturday," he sighed.

"Why didn't you tell me?" asked a hurt Henry. Dean was hurting as well.

Cas used his unharmed arm to wrap around Henry's back to draw him back down. Henry relented after a few gentle pushes. "I was going to tell you."

"When?" he mumbled.

"Saturday."

"Cas!"

"Sorry," he said and kissed the top of Henry's head.

"Still mad," Henry grumbled.

"I know," Cas chuckled.

"Where you going to tell the rest of us?" his mom asked in a slightly sullen tone. Cas descended farther down to hid among Henry's hair. "Cas."

"I was going to tell you..." Cas promised.

"I'm sensing a 'but.'"

"...but I wasn't going to say anything until later in the day."

"Why?"

"Because I don't really celebrate my birthday, and if I had told you earlier, you would've planned something and had Henry convince me it was necessary, and you would've had some crazy notion that you had to buy me a present on top of it all. And you would've convinced everyone they needed to be there. Why am I even saying 'convince?' You would've made sure they were there. And if for some reason, I still continued to protest, you would've made Henry distract me or bully me into acceptance. And I don't want you to go through all that trouble for me," he complained in one go. It was scary how his mother could reduce anyone to a mere child. Everyone simply stared at him.

"Okay...I'm not going to up his med," Anna slowly said, "and we should really let him rest now." Cas breathing was a little strained, and his chest was expanding far too wide for anyone's comfort.

"Anna's right," Jess said with barely constrained worry. "Cas really needs to rest. We don't want him to overexert himself."

"Yes, and if everyone would be so kind as to leave the room," Anna said. Dean's family wasted no time to give Cas the space he needed.

"We'll be back to check on you later, bluebird," Balthazar said and rubbed his hand over the hairs that weren't covered in bandages.

Balthazar was then pushed out the way by Gabriel. "Bye, Cassie!" Gabriel lean down and smack a loud kiss on Cas's cheek. It took everything Dean had not to go over there and punch Gabriel. He would reluctantly settle for the glare Cas gave Gabriel.

"Try and rest," Kali said with all too knowing eyes.

"I'll be fine," Cas smiled encouragingly at the three of the them. "Anna will make sure of it." They all chuckled at that.

"Dean?" Anna called. Dean realized he was staring and his mom and he were the only ones, aside from Cas's family, left.

Dean stepped forward then stop when Cas's heart monitor did something weird. It almost seemed like it missed a beat? But that couldn't be true. Could it? Was it possible that Cas's heart--

"Sorry, bluebird, I accidentally stepped on the wire," Balthazar quickly apologized. Dean's stomach met the floor. He was so stupid for getting his hopes up. Cas didn't view him that way. He was looking for things that weren't there.

"Careful, Balthazar," Anna scolded but it sounded weak to him. He pushed that to the back of his mind and walked up to Cas's bed.

Dean stroked the top of Henry head. "When did he fall asleep?"

"I believe around the time Anna told everyone to leave," Cas answered.

Dean finally looked at Cas, and the machine missed a beat again.

"Sorry," Balthazar apologized again. Dean didn't glare at Balthazar no matter how much he wanted to.

"I hope you don't mind watching him for me," Dean smiled. _One more missed beat_.

"Why are there so many wire for one machine?" Balthazar asked in frustration. Dean glared this time.

"I don't mind watching him, Dean," Cas said.

"Thanks, Cas."

"I'll make you some tomato-rice soup for lunch," his mom said from next to him. He had completely forgotten she was still here.

"Thank you."

"Don't mention it, sweetie," his mom responded with a smile. "You just rest up."

"I will," he smiled back.

His mom looped her arm with his and tugged. He doubt he would've left if she didn't. She lead him out the door and to the hall. Halfway between Cas's door and the stairs, Dean stopped.

"What?" his mom asked.

"I wanna asked Anna if she can take a look at Henry when he wakes up," Dean answered, extracting his arm from hers.

"I'll come with you."

"No. You go meet the others. This will only take a second."

"Okay," she said and continued walking.

Dean swirled around and power-walked to the room but stopped we heard a familiar voice drift out the room.

"How is it my fault my heart skips a beat whenever he's around? I can't simply tell it to stop, now can I?"

But he could tell Dean's to stop.

"It's adorable though."

"Anna."

"You were lucky Balthazar came up with that excuse so fast."

"I know, Gabriel."

"I am impressed though. Your self-control is impeccable. How have you not stuck your tongue down his throat yet?"

"Gabriel!" at least three different voices yelled.

"Okay. Everyone out. I need to check his vitals and everything. And this conversation is just stressing him out more."

Within a flash, Dean was heading the way he previously came from. His mind running as fast as his steps. His smile, however, was growing at an agonizingly slow rate. Dean was right earlier. Cas's heart monitor did skip a beat. He made Cas's skip a beat and more than once at that! Countless women had told him he had done that to them, but neither did he have proof nor did their words mean much him. But now he was bubbling with giddiness because he had proof and then some, and he had vocal admission on top of it all.

He made Cas's heart skip a beat!

Dean was in a state of euphoria, one he had not felt since the day he found out he was going to be a day. His heartbeat was deafening. Adrenaline was burning through his veins. His body was covered in a thin layer of sweat.

His bones ached.

Way down low ached.

His soul ached.

Dean felt like he traveled from one corner of the Earth to the next, fighting all manner evil along the way and finally managed to catch a glimpse of home in the distant. Cas was home. He had been feeling like home to Dean for a while now.

But Dean couldn't return home yet. He had bridges to build and matters to settle. Dean had to first and foremost apologize making it seemed like hugging him was the last thing Dean wanted to do and making it seemed like hugging him was an arduous task Henry was forcing him to do. Secondly, he had to know why Cas never mentioned his attraction to him? (He sincerely hoped it wasn't just attraction). Thirdly, Dean also had to explain why he never said anything. And lastly, they needed to figure out where they go from there. Dean was hoping Cas would want to accept him, because Dean finally had a chance with him, and he was going to take it. Maybe someone had heard his plea and gave Cas back to him in a better condition that his brain had come up with. He'd be a fool to let this go, after coming so close to losing him mere hours ago.

Dean wanted everything sorted today. They had wasted enough time as it was. But when and how?

~~~★~~~

The 'when' came sooner than he had anticipated. And by that, he meant lunch time. Dean's family members had cleared out once they were assured that Cas was alive, and now they were either at home or  at work enjoying their lunch. Even his son was occupied, having demanded he should go home with his nana--who took the day off--to help with Cas's tomato-rice soup. He could rest assured that he wouldn't be interrupted.

One phone call to the hospital informed him that Cas relatives had also gone out to lunch, and even if they didn't Dean would asked them to leave on the grounds he had something important to discuss with Cas.

One excuse about going to his house to check on things later--having been forced to take the day off himself--Dean was walking to toward Cas's room.

Was he nervous? No. _He was terrified_. For once in his life, Dean Winchester was terrified to approach someone he wanted. Cas was--and Charlie had bluntly told him this--the first person he'd loved where the feeling didn't start off as lust. And as cliché as it sounded, he fell for the person first. Not that he didn't like Cas's body because he did, and his dreams attest to that.

Dean was terrified, and nervous, and queasy and so painstakingly hopeful. His stomach was weaving itself into knots when all its contents wanted to come out. His steps were uneasy as he trekked forward. His heart was running ahead of him. Amongst all the chaos was excitement. He was about to see Cas and to get everything sorted. And by the end of it, he might even get to touch without fear.

A spring was suddenly added to his step, and the distance between Cas was dwindling. Dean walked through the door, and _his heart_ skipped a beat. Cas was reclined in bed with a book in hand and...wearing glasses, glasses with rectangular lens and a jet-black frame. It would appear Dean now had a glasses kink or it was just a Cas kink, since he looked adorable in them. Cas had always told Dean he was a nerd and never did he tell him he was a hot nerd.

Dean shook his head. He needed to focus. He came here to do something and he was going to do it correctly. Dean knocked on the door, because Cas wouldn't appreciate being scared if Dean simply walked up to him.

Cas's head whipped to the door. "Dean," he said in a soft, surprised voice. Dean bit his bottom lip to stop from smiling when he heard a missed beep. He wasn't going to look at the monitor either. Let Cas believe he didn't hear anything.

"Hey, Cas," he greeted and walked up to him. He spotted how Cas tensed up, and how Cas schooled his face. A lot of things made more sense now.

"Hello, Dean." Cas's over politeness was one of those things. Cas closed his book and placed it on the bed. "Is something wrong? Is it Henry?" Cas's heart didn't miss a beat but sped up slightly.

Dean didn't touch him. There will be time for that later. Hopefully. "Cas, everything is fine. Henry's fine. I just wanted to talk to you."

"Oh," Cas deflated. "About what?"

"Our conversation from yesterday," Dean answered. Cas frowned in confusion, and Dean wanted to laugh so badly.

"Dean," he tiredly said when he remembered.

Dean shook his head and said, "No. We're not avoiding this any longer." He didn't realize how appropriate his comment was until he said. How true it was.

"Dean..."

"I'm sorry, Cas," Dean said. "I'm sorry for how I acted yesterday morning."

"Dean, you didn't--"

"Henry just wanted us to hug," Dean cut him off, "and I made it seem as if he asked me to jump off a bridge or something, and I'm sorry for that."

"I don't blame you. No, listen," he said, and Dean bit down the rebuttal. "Henry did spring it on us out of the blue, and you can't be blamed for not responding well."

"Yes, I can," Dean objected. "Henry's request wasn't out the blue. He just wanted us to hug like sees me do with the rest of the family, and instead of just hugging you, I acted like an ass. I'm sorry."

Cas sighed then responded, "I still think your making this into more than it is, but I will accept your apology. Thank you."

He wasn't making this more than it was, but he will accept that the hugging incident was all water under the bridge now. "Great." There was a few beat of uncomfortable silence as Dean tried to figure out how to go about asking Cas if he liked him. "How are you feeling?" Dean went with instead.

"I feel fine. There still is lingering pain, but the medication is helping," Cas answered. "I should count myself lucky. My injuries could have been far worse." Dean had been counting himself lucky since this morning. Dean suddenly remembered something.

"Thank you," Dean breathed out.

"What?" Cas furrowed his eyebrows.

"I never thanked you for saving my son's life," Dean replied. He was shocked he completely forgot about that bit of information.

"You don't have to thank me. I wo--"

"I do," Dean interrupted. "You saved the one thing that meant more to me than my own life. I don't know if I'll ever be able to thank you enough."

"And I would do it again in a heartbeat," Cas said with conviction.

"That's why it's harder to make it up to you because I truly believe it," Dean feebly smiled. Dean wished his eyes didn't flicker to the heart monitor when it skipped a beat, but they did.

"The-the machine has been acting up recently," Cas nervously informed him.

"Are you going to continue lying to me?" The words were out of his mouth before his brain could register them.

"W-what?!" Cas sputtered.

The accusation was already in the open, Dean might as well elaborate. Granted, he didn't want the conversation to start like this, but it had to start somewhere. "I know why you heart monitor does that. I know it's not because there's something wrong with it, and your brother isn't here to step on the wires," Dean told him.

"Dean, I can assure my heart--"

"--skips a beat if I so much as look at you?" Dean ventured. Cas's eyes grew comically as Dean knew they would. Dean just forgot how much it would distress Cas, because Cas's heart monitor went off like a pin-pon ball and his breathing became labored. Dean was ashamed to say the first thing to come to mind was he could think of another way to make Cas's breathing labored. "Cas, I'm not angry," Dean rested his hand on Cas, and his heart didn't shatter when Cas withdrew his. It didn't.

"W-what-I-I...how?!" Cas stammered, eyes wide with fear. Dean had seen the more emotions from Cas in one day that he had living with him for a month.

"I came back earlier to ask Anna to look at Henry for me, and I overhear you guys talking," Dean confessed. He wasn't going to apologize this time. None of this would be happening if he hadn't overheard them.

"I-I--"

"Cas, I'm not mad at you or whatever else you're thinking," Dean promised. Cas looked down. "I just wanna why you never told us anything?" Why he didn't tell Dean anything?

"You want to know why I never told you I lo-liked you?" Cas skeptically asked. Dean could care less about his skepticism. His stomach chose this very moment to do somersaults, and his heart decided it wanted to present itself to Cas through his mouth. Because Cas screwed up. Whether it be from the medication or how un-Cas-like he was acting, Cas screwed up.

"That's not what you were going to say," Dean accused and now knew how to spot when Cas cut himself off: lips pressed tight, shoulders squared, eyes darkened and stare intensified--a soldier ready for war. This was far from a war, and it would continue to be such. "Cas..." Dean gently said while his insides raged on, "...do you love me?" His answer was the loss of those blue eyes he had seen every morning for thirty or so days. Dean sighed when he realized he wasn't going to get a vocal answer and instead asked, "Why did you tell us you were gay-wait, are you even gay?"

"Yes, I'm gay," was his curt response.

"And?" Dean prompted when Cas stopped.

"And," Cas sighed, "...and I was scared."

"Of us?" he squeaked. "Cas," he whined when Cas said nothing. "Why would you be scared of us? We have Charlie and Gilda. None of us would've judged you." They would've tried setting Cas and him up rather than judge him. And if anything, they would've fiercely defended Cas, not shun him.

"You would be surprised by the staggering amount of people who view lesbians as less of a threat to society than gay men," he wryly chuckled.

"But we're not any of those people!" he defended, more for his family's sake than his own.

"I couldn't risk it!" Cas shouted back.

"What?"

"There was a chance that one of you would be uncomfortable with me being gay, and that was too much of a risk."

"How?" None of what Cas was saying made sense to Dean. Cas was making this out to be a life or death situation.

"I don't need to remind you how loyal and protective your family is, Dean. They thrive on each other's happiness and anything, or in this case anyone who disrupts that is gone in a flash. I couldn't risk that...I couldn't risk losing what I had with Henry. Yesterday's event must have surely showed you how much I care about him." Cas stopped and took a deep breath. One of them should since Dean had stopped breathing. He got his answer and more. "Even if I wasn't thrown out," Cas continued, unconsciously stressing the last part, "I wouldn't have stayed and force someone to tolerate me," again the last bit was stressed. "I have enough of that to last me a lifetime."

Dean sat down on the bed and, okay, his heart did shatter when Cas flinched. "I get it now," he said through the lump in his throat. He knew all too well with it felt like to have people simply tolerate him. "But trust me Cas, they wouldn't have had a problem with you being gay."

"You can't be sure."

"I can, and I am," Dean reassured him. The stubborn set of Cas's jaw told Dean he wasn't convinced. "The day they have a problem with you will be the day they have a problem with me."

"Dean, I won't have you going against your family for me," Cas glowered. Dean was caught between wanting to kiss his gloriously beautiful face and wanting to face-palm himself.

"Cas, they day my family has a problem with you will be the day they have a problem with me," he stressed out. Charlie always said coming out was freeing, but right now it was more of a pain in the ass than anything.

"Dean, I already--"

"Cas!" he shouted cutting him off. "I'm going to this one more time, and I want you to listen carefully, Okay?" Cas nodded his head. "The day my family has a problem with you will be the day they have a problem with me," he stressed out as painstakingly long as he possibly could without breaking eye contact with Cas. He smirked the second Cas got it.

"Oh-my-god-oh-my-god-oh-my-god," Cas chanted wide eyed. Dean backed up a little and let Cas have time to process. It was only fair since he had much longer to come to terms with such vital information. "What? How? When?" Flustered and inarticulate Cas was a sight to see, an adorable site at that.

"Okay. I guess I'll start by with those," Dean chuckled. "To answer the 'what.' I'm bi. The 'how.' Well, no-one has actually figured out how this happened yet or why--" he stopped to smile at Cas's eye roll, "--and the 'when.' According to a lot of my family, I was always bi and somehow knew deep down. I just didn't realize it, not yet anyway."

"When did you realize?" Cas asked with a slight shine in his eyes.

"Part of me realized the day I saw you talking to my son--" Cas softly gasped, "--but it didn't fully register with the rest of me until that night Henry had his nightmare, and I woke up to you humming to him, trying to console him. It didn't register with all of me until I fell in love with a guy. Until I Fell in love with you."

"Dean," Cas rasped. Everything about him crumbled before Dean. His lips were parted, his shoulders were slouched, his eyes were bright, and his stare was faint.

Dean scooted close at took Cas's hand in both of his. Cas's hand were cold against his heated ones but so incredible smooth like polished marble but soft like cotton. He stared into Cas's glossed eyes. "I have never been the best boyfriend," Dean informed him, "but I am willing to try harder this time around if you'll have me."

"That's fine. I haven't had a boyfriend in a really long time, so I probably won't be able to tell the difference," Cas smiled, but not with his whole face.

"Is that a 'yes?'" There needed to be no room for misunderstandings.

"Yes." This time Cas smiled with his entire face.

Dean removed his top hand from Cas's and used it to cup Cas's face. He lightly brushed his thumb across Cas's cheek, pleasantly surprised that the skin was just as soft and smooth on his cheek. He softly drew Cas forward--having reached his limit--and kissed him. A soft chaste kiss that he went to break but couldn't when Cas used his hand to tug his back. Dean gasped in surprise giving Cas the chance to plunge his tongue into Dean's mouth. The second Cas's tongue invaded his mouth, Dean gave up fighting and drew Cas's face closer to his. Dean swiftly took the lead and tilted Cas's head to his liking and forced his tongue past Cas's to map out Cas's mouth.  
Dean swallowed the moan Cas let out when Dean swirled his tongue around, trying to find the taste of Cas among all the taste of medicine. He near growled when he didn't, but held back when he realized he would have plenty of time to try again.

Dean suddenly jerk back and took back his tongue. Cas whimpered, honest to god , whimpered. Dean chuckled and rested his forehead against Cas, soaking in the harsh breathing and frantic beeping. "Eager, were we?" Dean teased.

"You...have no..idea...how long..I wanted to do that," Cas wheezed.

Dean gave a breathless laugh and lightly kissed him once more. "I love you."

Cas sighed. "I love you, too."

"Good," Dean said and drew back. "Now let's make you presentable before your sister kills me for taking advantage of you."

"You haven't yet," Cas respond and Dean's spine shot up straight. Cas was going to be the death of him. "That wasn't supposed to come out."

"A lot of things have been coming out today."

"Funny," Cas glared and then groaned.

"What?" Dean asked moving that much closer. "Are you okay? You didn't pull a muscle or something?"

Cas rested his forehead on Dean's shoulder, and Dean couldn't help but rest his cheek on Cas's head. He could learn to take this for granted. "No," he mumbled. "I just occurred to me that I have to tell my brothers and sister about this. And Anna is going to be particularly smug."

"Why?" he asked, grinning at Cas's not-so-subtle sniffing. Dean would happily return the favor as soon as he wasn't suffocating on ammonia and rubbing alcohol. Hospitals.

"She kept saying that I should never assume things about a person's sexuality, and you could very well be gay and in denial or bi and hiding it," he groused. Dean just laughed, loudly. "You don't understand. Anna has never been private about her smugness. I will be hearing 'I was right and you were wrong' until my deathbed." A part of Dean's brain whispered, 'I'll be right there to hold your hand.'

"My family's probably going to bust out the hard liquor and confetti," Dean said attempt to soothe him. Deane wished Cas's arm wasn't broken so he could wrap his arms around Cas.

Cas didn't respond but shot away from Dean and stared with impossibly round blue eyes. "Henry."

"Henry can't drink hard liquor."

"Dean," he warned.

Dean pulled Cas back. He was allowed to touch and touch he will. "Henry will be over the moon if it means he'll get to keep you longer," Dean laughed. Dean wasn't going to tell Cas about Henry trying to set them up. Cas would appreciate it more if he found out for himself. See? Dean was already being a considerate boyfriend.

"Just Henry?"

"I'm way past that," Dean said and wrapped one arm around Cas's back and pulled him closer. Dean grinned when Cas rubbed his entire face into his shoulder and chest.

"When are you going to tell them?"

"Don't know yet. Probably tonight when they are all together," Dean answered. "You?"

"As soon as they get back from lunch," Cas replied. "Give Anna's big head a chance to deflate."

"Is she really that bad?" he chuckled.

"Yes, but she'll contain herself around everyone else."

"Ah," Dean said then sighed. "I gotta go now."

"No," Cas whined.

"I have to go pick up Henry, my mom and your tomato-rice-soup," Dean told him. He didn't want to leave either. The last thing he wanted was to leave.

"Fine," Cas said and moved back, and Dean arms slipped off his shoulder. Dean cupped his face and kissed him once. Twice. Three times. Four times. "Go," Cas commanded with a smile on his face.

Dean kissed once more then got up. "I'll see you later."

"Yeah."

Dean walked to the door feeling lighter than he had in a really long time. All he need to do now was tell his family and brace himself for the threats Cas's family were going to dish out. If he could survive those two, then he could get started on the promise he made Cas.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> End of semester draws near. I won't be able to write until after. :(


	9. Variable: Festivity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cas's Birthday...and Dean and Cas talk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi :) 
> 
> Hope all it well with you all.
> 
> Sorry about the long wait, but professors like leaving everything till the end of the semester. And finals are a b****.
> 
> chapters will be shorter from here on out since it's going to be about the two of them getting to know each other. And some cute stuff. He-he
> 
> Lastly, that season finale. No. No. No.

Cas was ecstatic, elated, euphoric. Simply put, Cas was happier than he had been in years. He felt lighter than he had in years. He was even reconsidering testing out his theory of actually being an angel and attempting to try his hand at flying. Only this time, with him being this light, he might succeed instead of breaking his arm. And wasn't that a interesting day--memorable, really.

And like most childhood memories, it started out with him doing something dangerous, after being coaxed by Gabriel. Gabriel really didn't have to try very hard to get him to do anything since any younger sibling, at one point in their life, had listened to their elder sibling as if he or she was the messiah. And who would question the messiah when he told a bright-eyed, six-year-old he was in fact an angel, and his name was not merely a namesake, and he was an angel sent to earth to do the Father's work. So, Castiel did what any six-year-old would do when told he had superpowers, he tested them out.

He went in search of a perch where he could take flight. After all, angels were known for being skilled fliers, so why shouldn't the thing he tried out be flying? And why shouldn't his ideal place of takeoff be the apple tree in his backyard? He had never been capable of climbing the low-rise tree in his backyard, but that was about to change. He trekked over to the garden shed to collect what he needed: any large, square or rectangular object he could find. He dragged what he could find back to the tree and stacked them against the tree trunk.

When the means to his goal was finished, a ladder of sort comprised of crates--and a bucket--that one housed sprouts, he began climbing and clawing his way up to the first reachable limb. He didn't care that the rough bark was digging into the flesh under his nails. He needed to fly. Once high enough, he grasped the branch in a tight grip and hoisted himself up, swinging one leg over the branch until he was practically hugging it. With his eyes closed, he barely registered the slow clap coming from closer to the house. He opened his eyes to see a grinning Gabriel, head poking out from his bedroom window.

"Well done, Cassie," he solemnly praised

"Thank you," Castiel said, even though his heart was in his throat, beating faster than that of a child in its mother's womb. He didn't dare look down as he tried to right himself, using the bark as leverage. When he was finally standing, he opened his eyes and matched Gabriel's grin with one of his own.

"You finally did it," Gabriel remarked. "You're finally one of the big kids now." Little did he know of what Castiel was planning and how the comment only encouraged him more. Being praised by one older than one's self was quite the rush, enough to disregard the voice that screamed how terrible an idea this was.

Castiel widened his grin, stretched his arms out wide and closed his eyes. He was going to do this, and it looked as if everything seemed to encourage him. He finally got to the first branch. Gabriel was proud of him. The sun was high in the sky. And a cool summer breeze was rustling the leaves and combing its way through his hair. The wind even went as far as cooling his heated skin, from his arduous task of getting up here.

"Cassie, what are you doing?" said a panicked voice.

Castiel paid the voice no mind and focused on the other sounds around him with the intent of drowning them out. Once he picked up the sound of the loud TV coming from the house, he drowned it out along with the barking Labrador across the street, the lady next door singing to her newborn, the various cars passing by and the indistinguishable chatter the came from an equally indistinguishable location. He only had ears for the rustling sound that was getting closer.

"Castiel, what--"

"Flying," Castiel cut him off and jumped. His timing couldn't have been more perfect. For the minute he took off, the wind hit his front, full force. And it was exhilarating. He was flying! He was an angel! He was among the clouds! He was sure of it! He was convinced that nothing in the short amount of that he was alive could compare to this or ever would. The joy he felt now far surpassed what he felt waking up on Saturday mornings to watch cartoons. It felt much better than the time Mr. Abernathy showed him his beehive and gave him fresh honey to take home.

His joy was short lived and even shorter when he opened his eyes. The clouds weren't getting closer, but the ground was. He wasn't seeing white and blue but green and brown and getting closer. Panic consumed his joy to the point where his brain cut itself off from the rest of his body, to the point where he forgot to try any land on a sturdier body part--his feet or butt, perhaps. Castiel landed, hard, on his left arm. A deafening screamed pierced the empty backyard.

Castiel didn't register the sound of pounding feet or the shouts. His entire world boiled down the immense pain clawing at his arm, right below his elbow. He didn't even notice his own wretched sobbing. He didn't notice much until arms wrapped around him, pulling him close until he was cradled like an infant, with a fuzzy beard rubbing against his forehead and a voice stringing together endearments and reassurance.

He whimpered, grabbed onto the man's shirt, and pulled him close. He had thought he needed to be amongst the clouds because that was where he--being an angel--belonged. He didn't voice how he wanted Gabriel to be right, so he could be have a sense of fully belonging. He knew he was wrong now, clutching onto the man who held on just as tight. He would have never fitted in with the other angels. He already had a place. He had his honey and Saturday morning cartoon. He had this man who was holding onto him like Castiel would fly away if he didn't. His joy that was consumed with panic now filled up with safety and love.

He was feeling all of that right now. He could very well fly away right now, but like then, he knew he had someone who would keep his tethered. He felt a shred of panic underneath, but he also felt loved and safe. He belonged here with Dean and Henry. They were his clouds like his father used to be since that very day.

"Cassie, are even listening?" Gabriel asked, slightly irritated.

"Better hope Henry doesn't hear you call me that," said Cas instead.

Gabriel huffed and rolled his eyes. "He's not here, now is he?"

"No," he agreed, "but knowing you, you'll slip up eventually, and he'll make sure you never call me that again." At Gabriel's frown, he added, "I'm just trying to save you the trouble of facing an irritated Henry. However adorable he may be when angry, you do not want him angry with you." _He gets sulky and quiet, and nobody wants a quiet Henry._ Like father like son, he supposed.

"He gets more adorable when angry?" he asked, eyes wide with mirth.

"Yes," he cautiously answer, not knowing what was so amusing. Then it hit him. "Don't you dare make him angry," Cas warned.

"I would--"

"No, Gabriel." He kept his voice as stern as possible.

"Just a lit--"

"No." It was essential to maintain direct eye contact until the other party cower.

"Fine," he shouted, throwing back his head and arms up, thus cowering under Cas's stare. "Can I annoy your boyfriend instead?"

"Gabri--"

"Yes!" Anna exclaimed from her spot at the foot of his bed. " _Your boyfriend._ "

Cas glowered at Gabriel, packing as much loathing in the gaze as he could, knowing fully well Gabriel only brought up Dean again as retribution. "Anna--"

"The boyfriend," she said, cutting him off. "Dean." She said his name as if it held all the answers. "The _straight_ guy with a son. _That_ Dean." And she was off again. Perfect.

"Anna," he sighed, wishing he had something to bang his head against, or maybe Gabriel's. It would surely offer him satisfaction right now.

"Yes, dear brother?" she sweetly asked with as much sweetness as a ripe lemon. Maybe if he jostled his arm enough, the pain would be an adequate substitute.

Cas sighed again. ' _Better let her got it out of her system now_ ,' he thought. "Nothing," he said out loud.

"What? Were you going to say Dean wasn't gay? Even though, I told you not to automatically jump to assumption," she responded. The 'I'm right and you're wrong' and 'I told you so' were very much implied.

One look around told Cas that the other were just as tired and frustrated as he was, but no-one would dare say anything. Anna could get insanely proud and smug when she was right, even more so when everyone doubted her. Blame it on growing up in a house filled with boys, if one must.

"Yes, Anna, you were right. I should have listened," he lamely said. He lost count of the amount of times that had been said today--hell, the past hour.

"Yes, you should have," she agreed, smugness oozing off every word. "If you had, you would've already been getting laid by now."

"Anna!" Cas shouted indignantly, feeling a slight twinge in his chest cavity, then glared at his snickering brothers. Kali and Jeff had the decency to at least cover their amused smiles with their hands.

"Since the first week, even," she continued, completely missing his glower or disregarding it. He wasn't sure which but was going with the latter.

"It probably would've _loosened_ you up," Gabriel drawled.

Cas's lips slightly parted, and Gabriel winked at him, and everyone else started laughing. "I hate you all," he said without much heat--all heat having flooded his cheeks. He glanced around, taking in their glowing cheeks and clothes, which needed to be changed as soon as possible. And they needed to rest. Really, a shower, new clothes, and sleep were what they needed.

As if sensing Cas's intense, lingering gaze, Balthazar looked from Gabriel to Cas and said, "What?" One perfectly sculpted eyebrow rose higher than the other.

"Nothing," he quickly said. "I really missed you guys. And--"

"Even with Anna's bitching?" he teased, his eyes softening immensely.

"You're one to talk," she snarked, lips threatening to curl up in a smile.

"If anyone should be considered 'bitchy,' it's Gabriel," Kali added.

"Hey!" said man yelled, affronted, causing another chorus of laughter. Yeah, he really missed them.

"You guys should go," he chuckled as the laughter died down.

"What?" Balthazar said, confused.

"You all are practically dead on your feet, and you need some sleep and change of clothes," he pointed out, scrunching up his nose.

"Oh," he said, pulling at his shirt and eyeing it suspiciously, as if it somehow gave away all their secrets.

"Don't believe him," Gabriel said, narrowing his eyes and crossing his arms. "He just wants us out of here before Dean get back. Seriously, Cassie, have some proprietary." He smirked.

"I have plenty," he refuted. "And Dean is coming back with his son." Sticking his tongue out would be childish, and he was above that--barely. "And you all really look terrible."

Gabriel mock gasped. "Ouch, Cassie." He said his hand on his chest, looking the spitting image of betrayed and hurt. It was no wonder he got away with so much; he could really play the part well. He should be relieved Gabriel didn't resort to tears. The giant child, he was.

Cas stared back at him, unperturbed.

Gabriel huffed, physically sagged and said, in a haughty voice, "Fine, but we're not leaving until he get here."

"Gabriel."

"Are you sure about this?" Balthazar asked, putting a stop to the glaring match commencing before him.

"About what?" Cas asked, more than aware of what he was saying, but if Balthazar brought it up, he was at least going to come out and outright say it.

Balthazar sighed, heavily, knowing what Cas was playing at, and said, "Are you sure about you and Dean?" His eyes besought Cas's, looking for his answer.

He returned Balthazar's gaze in full, ignoring Anna's indignant squawk (always the loyal twin), and answered, "Yes."

They continued to stare at one another, but Cas could see his brother waver until he crumbled. "Why?"

Cas recoiled. That wasn't what he expected. He expected merciless teasing from him. "What?"

"Why him?"

Cas reined in the hackle that arose above his confusion. "What?"

"He's not even your type," he fervently stated, as if he stressed it enough, Cas would realize his folly--it wasn't helping much. "He nothing like any of the guys you have dated before."

' _That's because you don't know him_ ,' his mind screamed.

"Balthazar," Anna softly said, and he shook his head.

No. This wouldn't do. He wasn't going to allow this from his family--no.

"You're right," he said, and they all looked at him, surprised. Balthazar relaxed a little, hope shone from his eyes. He knew Balthazar's refusal was stemming from concern, and he loved him for it, but there was no need for it. "Dean, isn't someone I would usually date--because he's not someone I'm trying to get Michael to like. I'm dating him because I want to date him, not because I think my older brother would approve." So much for keeping his temper under control.

"Blue--"

"I'm dating him because I love him," he cut Balthazar off; the endearment wasn't going to work on him now. "I'm dating him because he makes me happy, something I haven't been for a long time." His anger had labored his breathing and, from the looks they were giving the heart monitor, had done the same to his heartbeats. His ribs hurt, his eyes pricked with unshed tears, and his fists were clenched, tight.

"Castiel," Anna said, touching his leg.

"Dean has spent his entire life subjected to other people's prejudice and even more so after he had Henry, and I won't have it coming from my own family as well. I won't."

"You love him?" Balthazar meekly asked, yet somewhat guarded as well.

And then it hit Cas. "Dean's not Eric!" he shouted as watched them flinch, not at his tone but the subject. "Dean will never be anything like Eric."

"Cassie," Gabriel said, stepping closer to his bed, no doubt trying to calm him down, but he wasn't going to calm down until he made them see sense.

"Dean isn't Eric. When he said he loves, I believed him," he gritted out then flinched himself. When he told them about him and Dean, he didn't mention they said, "I love you," to each other.

"He said he loved you?" Anna asked, her mouth twitching in an attempt to smile. At least, he had one person on his side.

"He did, and I believed him," he smiled a little at her. He then turned back to Balthazar. "For God's sake, Balthazar, he spent the entire night here! I even had to force him to leave!" Dean didn't want to leave as much as he didn't want him to. He tried hard not to smile at the memory of Dean repeatedly kissing him. "Would Eric have done that? No." There was no point in waiting for a response.

Gabriel sighed, and Cas knew he won him over, but Balthazar was still tense. "Balthy," Gabriel said, resting a hand on his shoulder.

Balthazar deflated and said, "You sure about this?"

"I'm sure about my feelings for him, and I'm sure about him," he answered without missing a beat.

Balthazar regarded him for a moment before he said, "Okay." Cas knew he was relenting, but he was going to accept that for now.

"Good," Cas said, relaxing more into his hospital bed. "Now, I would appreciate it if you would all butt out of my love life." An uproar of objections followed. "No," he sternly said, " I know how you all get, so stop, now."

"Cas--"

"No," he shook his head at his sister. "This is between me and Dean. You all can show moral support from a distance. No 'if you hurt him, I'll hurt you' speech." He made sure Anna and Balthazar heard that, loud and clear.

"Fine," she sullenly said, arms crossed. "From a distance."

"Good." He looked over to the clock, wondering where Dean was. He left over an hour ago.

"Lover-boy will be here soon," Gabriel tease.

He was going to have to actively remind them of their promise. He was sure of it.

~~~✴~~~

Dean kept humming to _Highway to Hell_ while he mom looked at him, from the passenger seat, suspiciously. He grinned at her then glanced at his overhead mirror to spy on his son. Henry was fed,  freshly showered and dressed, looking more relaxed than he had since yesterday. He was dressed in a plain white shirt and light-blue shorts, clutching a container filled with tomato-rice soup. Dean grinned wider, thinking of how Henry vehemently stated he had to be the one to deliver the soup to Cas. Dean would've liked him to stay home and rest, but he also had no desire to let Henry out of his sight anytime soon. However, Dean figured it was only fair since Henry did help make it after promising Cas he would make it for him. Henry wasn't anything if not dedicated.

"Okay," his mom snapped, and he quickly looked at her. "What aren't you telling me?" she asked then added, "Eyes on the road."

He faced forward again and turned off the radio. "What?" he said, feigning confusion.

"You're not telling me something," she said, irritated.

One look up told him Henry was no longer looking out the window but at the back of his head. "I don't know what you're talking about," he responded, schooling his facial expression. He had to commend her for holding out for this long. He half expected her cave the moment he got to her house, smiling as if he just won the lottery...and maybe he did. He guessed she chalked up his good mood to the fact that both Cas and his son were okay. And they were okay, better than okay, really.

"You've been really chipper since you got home," she huffed. He would've been miffed at her annoyance, but she had never been one to like being out of the loop. It was entirely possible Henry got his curiosity from primarily her.

_And 'chipper?' Seriously?_

"Since when is it a crime to be happy?" he asked, relief washing over him when the hospital came into view. Henry wasn't the only one he wanted to keep in his immediate line of sight.

"Since you almost strangled someone yesterday," she smoothly muttered. Henry furrowed his eyebrows.

"Well, that's all in the past." And he had no doubt that Sam would handle that problem. After all, the guy did endanger the life of his nephew.

"Did something happen?" she asked, her eyebrows furrowing this time.

"No," he lied, cursing the parking lot for being so far away. From her ever thinning eyes, he knew he answered too hastily.

"Dean--"

"I'm just really glad Cas is up and doing okay. Ah, yes, a parking spot!" he exclaimed when someone pulled out from the front of the parking lot.

"Dean--"

"Da--d," Henry whined (if that wasn't the most wondrous sound in the world then Dean didn't know what was) and started hitting his feet against the seat.

"Almost there, buddy," Dean assured him. His mom pursed her lips but said nothing more. Dean pulled into the vacant spot and cut the engine.

"I'll get Henry," his mom curtly said as she opened her door and got out.

"Okay," Dean said to the empty space then got out himself. When he got to the other side of the car, Henry was already on one hip, still clutching the container in both hands and squirming.

"Henry," his mom moaned, trying to get a firm grasp on the increasingly squirmy child.

"Nana," Henry whined, and Dean snorted.

"Henry, calm down. Cas isn't going anywhere," Dean smiled. Cas wasn't going anywhere for a long time, if ever, if Dean had anything to do with it.

Henry pouted then lunged forward. Dean was quick to catch him and the soup, not knowing if Henry would be more upset if he was to get hurt, or if Cas's soup was to be ruined. Dean was going to bet on the latter.

"Easy there, bud," Dean chided, pulling Henry fully out of his mother's hold, fixing one arm around Henry's back and using his free hand to help hold the soup.

"Dad, come on," he grumbled.

"Okay, okay," said Dean then he kissed his temple and didn't budge an inch.

"Dad," he complained, pushing Dean's face.

"Okay, okay, I'm going," he chuckled, giving his temple another quick kiss. When he looked up, his mom was smiling indulgently at them. "Ready?"

She nodded. "Yeah, we better go before he starts up a mutiny."

And didn't Dean know it. He almost got chewed out when he told Henry he was going to shower and eat before they see Cas. It didn't help he spent way too much time picking out something to wear from the scarce amount of clothes he had at his mom's. He thought about going home, but Henry wouldn't let him out the house if he didn't intend on taking him straight to Cas, which was why he was walking into the hospital wearing a dark-blue t-shirt with an oil stain on the bottom and black jeans.

He nodded at Soya then narrowed his eyes. "Covering for a friend," she said then to Henry, "Hi, sweetie." Henry did respond, only fisted Dean's t-shirt.

"Don't take it to heart," Dean quickly said to her slouched form, "he's only interested in one person right now."

"Him and half the staff," she dryly chuckled.

"What?" he said, feeling a tightness in his stomach. Oh, great. He was already getting possessive of Cas.

"Hot stranger rolls into town and saves a little boy. Pretty swoon worthy material if you asked me," she casually said. It would've been casual if her voice didn't soften a little at the end.

And Dean really needed to get to Cas. He really needed to get to Cas and do something...anything. "Yeah," he tightly said, and she smiled at him, unaware of his his growing need to be near Cas. "Well, see you later, Soya."

"Bye, guys."

Dean thought she waved at them, but he was already making his way to the staircase.

"Dean, slow down," his mom command. Henry made a small sound of protest. Dean could relate.

"We should get the soup to Cas before it gets cold," he said but did slow down.

"I'm sure Cas isn't interested in any of them," she said when she caught up. Dean knew that. He had the memory of Cas's tongue down his throat to attest to that...and three words. Those two thing were enough to slow his heart rate and plaster a smile on his face. "Cas doesn't strike me as the type to get attach to people that fast," she continued, completely unaware of Dean smile. "I'm sorry, sweetie," she said, rubbing his back as he walked through the door leading to the staircase.

"Thanks, mom," he said in a aloof voice. She would be singing a different tone fairly soon.

"I won't be all that bad having him as a friend," she carried on. "I mean, you want more, but this is better than nothing." He made a vague sound of assent. "You'll get through this. Plus, you have us and Henry."

The sign signaling their arrival to the third floor couldn't have came at a better time. "Ah, we're here," he announced, going ahead to open the door for his mom, ignoring Henry's soft grumble when he didn't move. He did, however, notice the smile Henry wore as they got closer to Cas's room, and when they bypassed his mom, making them the first to enter the room.

Dean immediately froze the moment he stepped in the door. Five pairs of eyes bore into him. Kali, Anna and Jeff's stares were inviting, at least, but Gabriel and Balthazar's stares were imploring, calculating and threatening. None of that distracted him from hearing the missed beat. A hand pushed him forward, and he stumbled farther into the room.

"Um..." he awkwardly said.

"Hi, Dean," Anna smiled the same time Henry started to wiggle free from Dean's hold on him.

"Hi, Anna," he said, walking over to the bed and getting his own heart under control. Why was he nervous? He expected this. And Cas should expect it, too. No matter how much his family liked him, he was still going to get the 'if you hurt him, I'll hurt you' speech. From the looks of it--literally--he was going to get it from the two older brothers. Peachy.

Dean chuckled when he got to the bed, and Henry and Cas automatically reached for each other--or if one could call it that considering on had a broken arm and the other was clutching onto soup as if it was the holy grail. Dean took the soup from Henry, who, surprisingly, gave it up without a fight, and put him down next to Cas. He stepped back to watch them hang onto each other for dear life, heart constricting.

His mom came to stand next to him about the same time Cas and Henry separated. Henry and Cas than situated themselves so that Henry's back was against Cas's chest. He felt the need to point out eating would be difficult from that position but held his tongue.

"Hello, Dean," Cas grinned.

"Hey, Cas," Dean grinned back then reached out to cup one of Cas's cheeks. He leaned forward and gave him a chaste peck on the lips. He pulled back but kept his hand in place, rubbing his thumb across Cas's cheekbone. "How are you feeling?" Dean asked then winked at his son, who was staring at him, opened-mouth. His stunned expression quickly faded to glee.

"Hungry," he gravely stated, causing them to laugh. By them, he meant everyone except his mom.  

"Here," said Dean, pulling back his hand and handing the soup to Cas. Cas sat up more and took the soup from him. Once his arms were at his sides again...his mom smacked his chest, hard.

"You ass!" she yelled.

"Mary!" Cas squeaked. Dean just turned to face her, grinning despite his stinging chest.

"You," she said, pointing at Cas, "don't defend him." She turned her finger onto Dean and glowered. "You deserve worse"

"I thought you'll be happy about this," he teased, and she hit him again. "Mom!" He rubbed his chest, pouting, and her glower intensified.

"When did this happen?" she asked Cas, who was looking from her to Dean. Henry was staring at Dean's chest. He loved them both a little bit more.

"Earlier today," Cas cautiously answered as if the wrong answer would result in more abuse.

She glared at Dean. "That explains why you were so happy today." She hit him again, softer this time.

"Mary."

"I spent the entire way up here worrying he was going to have to live with his feelings not being reciprocated, and he kept agreeing," she answered, not taking her eyes off of Dean. "Eat your soup, dear," she told Cas.

"Um..."

"You should really eat your soup, Cas," Dean said.

Cas narrowed his eyes and tried sitting up more only to hiss out in pain. Dean was by his side within a flash, faster than Gabriel, who was mere inches away from the bed.

"Are you okay?" Dean urgently asked, petting Cas's leg and carding his fingers through his hair.

"Cas?" Henry asked from his place closer to Dean's body.

"I'm fine," he said to Henry then to Dean, "Stop worrying."

"Okay," Dean swallowed, removing the hand at the back of Cas's head but kept the one on his leg, rubbing circles to make up for the decrease in contact. "Come on, buddy. Cas is going to need his hand to eat his soup."

"Don't wanna," he pouted.

"I know," Dean glumly said, "but the sooner you move the sooner Cas can finish, and you'll be back." Henry whimpered when Dean wrapped an arm around his waist. "We're not going far. Tell you what? I'll get a chair, and we'll sit by Cas's bed. Okay?"

"Okay," he responded and allowed Dean to pick him up. Dean handed him to his mom and chuckled when she still glared at him but took Henry nonetheless.

Dean went and got a chair from the other side of the room. His eyebrows rose up when he faced Cas again who was wearing an overly smug expression. Gabriel and Balthazar were wearing shy smiles on their faces and looking quite abashed as well. Dean was obviously missing something. Dean shrugged and continued what he sought out to do. When the chair was by the bed, he took Henry back and sat down.

"Let me help you with that," Mary said, taking the container from Cas and opening it. She smiled when Kali put the hospital tray in front of Cas. Where were they hiding that?

"Thank you," Cas said when she set the container down and handed him a spoon. He was still eyeing her with a leery expression.

"Relax, Cas," Dean said, adjusting his grip on Henry, who decided he wanted to sit on the chair handle instead of Dean's lap. "She's just mad I didn't tell her the second it happened." He laughed at the end.

"I had a right to know the second it happened, considering how much pining you did," she groused.

"I wasn't pinning," he indignantly screeched only to deflate when Cas started chuckling.

"He's been pining for weeks," his mom continued, sharing an indulgent smile with Cas.

Dean was about to complain again, but Anna spoke up before him. "That's not so bad." Dean arched an eyebrow. "I remember getting a phone call from Cas about some hot guy and his adorable son he met at the grocery store."

"Anna!" Cas hissed, looking scandalized.

"And how some people shouldn't be that attractive or have such adorable kids." Cas was right. She and Charlie would get along swimmingly

"Anna," he hissed through clenched teeth and painted cheeks.

"Really?" Dean asked because that would mean...Cas had attracted to him since then. And he still moved in with him. Why would he subject himself to that heartache?

"Yeah," Anna answered, ignoring the daggers her brother was shooting her way. "He even talked about having breakfast with them, too."

"Anna," Cas warned.

"What else did he said?" Dean smirked.

"Dean."

"Cas, you're not eating your soup." Henry voice broke their little sharing session, concern evident on his face.

"I love you," Cas fervently told him.

"I love you, too," he beamed. Dean's heart melted a little, and he beamed at Cas as well.

"That's adorable," Anna stated, and he and Cas sighed miserably. As if on cue, Henry swerved his head to glare at her. She leaned back and said, "Um..."

"I'm going to try the soup now," Cas announced and won Henry's attention. Cas took a spoonful of soup only to remove the spoon to stare at it. "I can see why Dean and Henry demand you make this if they so much as sneeze. This is great."

"I helped," Henry piped up saying.

"Well, you did a great job." Cas put the spoon down to run his fingers through Henry's hair. Dean thought his own heart skipped a beat when Henry moved into the touch. Dean locked eyes with Cas and smirked when Cas blushed and looked away when someone cleared their throat, probably one of his brothers. Dean could get used to making him blush. He could get used to seeing any form of emotion--directed at him, of course--on Cas that wasn't stone-faced politeness.

"And we'll be happy to make more for you anytime you like," his mom adoringly said.

And Cas returned the look and said, "I'll hold you to that."

"See, Cas? Nothing to worry about. She wasn't even angry." He smirked when she rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"Good luck," she solemnly said with a smile tugging on her lips.

"Thanks, but I think I can handle him," Cas smirked then winked at her, and Dean...Dean really wanted to kiss him right now, but Henry wouldn't appreciated being unseated from his position and having Dean distract Cas from eating his soup. Life could really be unfair sometimes.

"Well, he is right." She sounded so put out like the very thought of him being right was a plight against humanity. "I'm really happy for you two." Dean could see her eyes get a little misty, but she refused to cry. Today was a very good day.

"Thank you," Cas shyly said, cheeks painted red again. Dean was starting to realize just how guarded Cas was around them--how much he really didn't want to lose them. And Dean was going to make sure Cas knew that he could never lose them, and he and Henry never lose Cas as well.

"What about you Henry? Are you happy for your dad and Cas?" Anna sweetly asked. Dean snorted. Henry was probably the happiest amongst them--maybe. He was pretty much over the moon right now. Henry didn't respond but drew his eyebrows together. Anna drew in a sharp breath when he tilted his head to the left, all too familiar with the quirk. "Aren't you happy that your dad likes Cas?" she asked instead when she got a hold of herself.

"Yeah," he slowly said with a leery expression of his own, an expression he reserved for cauliflower, not knowing if he should trust what everyone said about it being healthy.

"Okay," she said just as slow. "It's nice to finally know that Cas likes your dad back, right?"

"I know Cas likes daddy like daddy likes Cas." He sounded so confused and exasperated that Cas and Dean couldn't help but laugh--loud.

"What?" Anna asked when they kept laughing.

"Henry's been trying to set them up for the past week," his mom answered, chuckling, "maybe even longer."

"Probably longer," Cas wheezed with a glint in his eyes that told Dean he had figured out what Henry was trying to do. "Remember Sarah?" he asked his mom which piqued Dean's interest, enough for him to stop laughing. "I really thought he would've clawed her eyes out."

"She kept touching you!" Henry objected and almost dislodged himself from the chair. "Aunty Charlie said you're not supposed to touch someone that someone else likes!" Everyone started at that.

"I'm going to need to have a talk with your Aunty Charlie," his mom remarked, a smile tugging at her lips, similar to ones on Cas's family faces.

"I would like to know the story behind her telling him that," Cas commented.

His mom perked and turned her gaze unto Dean. "Speaking of Charlie," she started, "when are you going to tell her? Tell any of them?"

Dean had thought about this a lot. He thought about telling them one by one because collectively there would be too much screaming and hugging, for his liking. But that had a drawback, too many sour faces at not being told themselves the minute it happened and one knowing before the other. He decided something different and gave Cas a side glance. "I'm thinking about doing it Saturday."

Cas groaned theatrically and Gabriel lit up, like Henry when he was told he two poptarts, all unrestrained glee and excitement. Dean wasn't sure whom he was more afraid for, Cas or himself.

"Saturday!" he delightedly exclaimed. "Dean, can we use your house?"

"No," Cas answered, voice iron like, before Dean could even register the question.

"Sure," Dean answered to Gabriel's sullen state.

"Dean," Cas said, sounding equal parts exasperated and tired.

"Don't worry, Cas. It's just a small party that. I'm sure, my mom would love to help supervise." Dean's smile going to overly sweet to downright smug. Cas instantly unwound and took on his own lavishly smug smile, obviously picking up on Dean's intent: Cas's family got to celebrate his birthday and Dean got stress free, happy Cas. After all, Cas would've given in, and this way, Dean could make sure everyone got what they wanted. Plus, it would be nice care of Cas for once.

"That's a lovely idea, don't you think, Gabriel?" Anna queried meaningful in Gabriel's direction, and he begrudgingly agreed.

"I would love to help," his mom smiled at Anna.

"Me, too!" Henry interrupted.

"Oh," his mom softly exclaimed. "What kind of cake do you want?"

"Red velvet," Balthazar answered, before Cas could even opened his mouth, then flushed.

"Red velvet," Cas parroted, a fond, amused smile on his face. "And...you all should go get some rest, so you could plan my party." No-one moved, only groaned in exasperation and rolled their eyes. "No," Cas sternly said. "You're all tired, and my birthday isn't until Saturday. Plenty of time to plan something. Now, go." If Dean had any doubt about Cas having experience with children, it was gone in this instance because his family looked like properly scolded little troublemakers.

"Okay," Balthazar said with a soppy look. "Call--"

"Dean is right here," Cas interrupted, and Dean felt a burst it warmth in his chest. "I'll be fine."

Balthazar had that calculating look on his face as if he was debating whether or not he should leave his little brother alone with Dean--Dean was, in no small amount, offended and appalled. For god's sake, his mom would still be here! And Cas was very much still in a cast, with bruised ribs. Jesus. "Right," he relented, and Cas must had seen something because he beamed, bright and prolific. Dean felt a stab of jealousy, wanting more than anything for that smile to be directed at him.

And just like that, they were up and ready to go, stopping to give Cas a kiss to his forehead or to ruffle his head--minus Jeff, who settled for patting Cas on the leg--much to his outrage and refusal.

"I'll see you guys out," his mom said, and Dean's eyebrows shot up. "I don't think it would hurt to start planning early," she shrugged.

"Excellent," Gabriel said, hooking her arm with his and dragging her to the door. And the others followed him, chuckling to themselves.

After a few minutes, with Cas eating his soup and Henry studiously studying Cas's face for any form of discomfort, Dean asked, You're okay with the party, right?"

Cas stopped with his spoon halfway to his mouth. Dean should have waited. He put the spoon down and said, "I don't really celebrate my birthday--" and Dean felt bad for giving his okay, "--but I let them because they really want to, and it makes them happy." Cas smiled a shy smile then continued, "I only put up more of a fight this time because we're nowhere near our home, and I don't want them to put up a fuss this time with having to find a place and then planning everything." He huffed out a tired breath. "Thank you for letting them fuss and everything."

"I just want you to be happy." The words came out before he could think about it. Cas's surprise expression quickly morphed into the same soppy expression Balthazar had on but more attractive, far more attractive, not that Balthazar wasn't attractive, just Cas was...more. "Besides, us Winchesters like a good party."

That won him a boisterous, sonorous laugh from Cas. "Don't I know it." His expression turned from breathless to one of absolute adoration and love, one Dean had only seen directed at Henry, the one he had equated to the one given to a newborn, as if one was looking at their entire world. And Dean was jealousy of a smile not too long ago when this was so much better.

"I love you," he found himself unknowingly saying, but he didn't care if it got that expression to intensify.

"I love you, too."

"I love you, too," Henry chimed in, and Cas gave another resounding laugh, clear and joyous, that did crazy things to Dean's heart.

"I love you, too, Henry."

Dean relaxed farther into his seat, reveling in the sense of rightness and contentment.

There was nothing to worry about, nothing at all.

~~~✴~~~

There was something to worry about. There was a three-year-old to worry about.

"I don't wanna go," Henry petulantly said, standing on the chair by the hospital bed, arms crossed and scowl on his face. "I wanna stay with Cas, and you can't make me go."

Everyone had stopped by at one point during the day to see Cas, and now the only ones left were Dean, his mom, Henry, Anna and Jeff. Cas had sent the others home.

And it was close to midnight, and Dean was tired. Henry was tired. Everyone was tired.

"But you can't stay with Cas, buddy. You're tired and so is Cas," Dean tried to reason, but Henry's scowl only intensified.

"No." Henry stomped his foot, and Cas shot him a panicked look, pleading with him to do something. Dean's eyes widened. He was trying. "I can sleep with Cas."

"But the bed isn't that comfortable, Henry," Cas informed him.

"What? Why didn't--"Anna abruptly stopped when Cas leveled her with a glare.

Dean's lips twitched, but he kept his focus on Henry. "Wouldn't you--"

"No."

"You didn't even know what I was going to say!" Dean accused.

"No."

"Henry."

"No."

"Henry."

"Fine," Cas said, exhausted, and they both turned to stare at him.

"Cas--"

"He's not going to change his mind, Dean." Cas looked at Henry in a fond, exasperated manner. He smirked. "He's just as stubborn as you are." Henry then faced Cas and tried to climb up to the bed. "Wait," Cas commanded, halting Henry's movement. "You should take your pants off. You'll be more comfortable that way."

Henry hurriedly returned to his previous position and clumsily tried to unbuttoned his pants. He let out a high pitched whine when he couldn't get the buttoned loose. "Dad," he miserably called.

Dean rolled his eyes and didn't laugh with the rest of them. Henry really wouldn't appreciate that right now. "Fine," Dean relented and walked over and helped him out of his pants. "But you need to be careful around Cas, okay?"

Henry stared up at Dean in abject horror. "I would never hurt Cas." His eyes started to gloss over, and Dean felt his stomach drop.

Dean kissed his forehead and muttered, "Sorry, buddy. I know you wouldn't hurt Cas." He drew back, dropped the pants on the chair and lifted Henry up. "Come on." He gently deposited Henry into Cas's open arm--he looked far too pleased with this outcome. Dean shook his head when they tightly wrapped themselves around each other.

"Dean?" Anna called out, and he turned to face her and her shy smile. "The sofa can open out as bed, if you want to stay here with them."

"Oh," Dean softly breathed out then took on a contemplative look. On one hand, he had a comfortable bed at home, far away from harsh chemical smells, beeping machine and bustling nurses and doctor; on the other hand, he had the two loves of his life. "I might just do that. Thanks."

"Dean."

Dean shrugged out of the sweater, the weather took a turn for the worst and the temperature just...dropped, and threw it on one of the other unoccupied chairs.

"Dean," his mom called out this time.

"I love that you all think I'm going to be able to fall asleep at home...alone," he informed them as he toed off his boots  then his socks. "That I will be able even close my eyes knowing Henry and Cas are here." He looked up now to see them all wearing softened expressions, well, not all of them, since Henry just looked annoyed that Dean was still talking and taking away from his sleeping time.

"I'll tell the nurse to send up a blanket," Anna told him, walking up to Cas. "Night, bluebird." She kissed his forehead. "Night, Henry." She merely smiled sweetly at him. Dean wouldn't blame her, not knowing how Henry would react to some stranger, maybe not a complete stranger but strange enough, kissing his forehead.

"Goodnight, Anna," Cas smiled.

"Night," Henry drowsily mumbled and burrowed closer Cas, rubbing his face into Cas's scrubs.

"Thanks," Dean muttered. She nodded and went over to her husband, who was waiting for her by the door.

"I'll leave with you guys," his mom informed them. "I have to call John to come pick me up." And Dean mentally kicked himself. He was his mom's ride home.

"No need, we'll give you a lift home," Jeff told her. Dean nodded his head in thanks and got a nod in return.

"Thank you," said his mom. "Good night, baby." She kissed the back of his head, getting a quiet "night, Nana" from him, then looked at Cas. "Goodnight, Cas. Keep an eye on these two for me." She winked then ran her hand over the top of his head. Dean was positive his mom was as happy as he was, if the constant glances and warm smiled she kept shooting Cas throughout the day were any indication. And it was to be expected, since she was one of the very few people who saw just how much he wanted Cas.

"I intend to," Cas beamed, and Dean saw his mom's hand clenched tight. As if his mother didn't already love Cas enough already, he went and said something like that. Dean's heart painfully contracted.

"I'll hold you to that," she said, her voice wavering a little, but she smiled at him nonetheless and kissed his forehead. She moved back and walked over to Dean, eyes shining, which had nothing to do with the soft, pale light coming from outside. "Night, Dean," she said, taking both his hand and tiptoeing to place a light kiss on his cheek.

"Night, Mom," Dean said, voice coming out huskier than he intended. She gave him one last smile then followed the others out the door.

Dean turned his attention to the dark couch behind him, which opened much smoother and with less effort to his surprise. The couch was much larger than he anticipated: it could fit two people on it. Stupid cast. 

"Are sure about this?" Dean whirled around to look at Cas.

"I wasn't kidding when I said I wouldn't be able to sleep without you two there," Dean said, packing as much earnestness into his voice as he could.

"Okay," he minutely sighed. "It's only for the night." Dean ducked his head and snickered. "What?"

"Cas, you're going to be in here for another day," Dean informed him, hoping for amusement but missing, his tone coming out graver than he wished. He pulled himself together and continued with, "He's going to want to stay here until he can go home with you."

Cas didn't answer, only looked at Henry with that fond, adoring look.

"You could pretend to be a little bit upset," Dean teased.

Still not looking up, Cas answered, "Can you really blame me for wanting him close?" He finally looked at Dean "Or you?" And Dean couldn't help but noticed how the warm yellow light made his eyes darker to the point where they were no longer blue. And the yellow light made his skin glow, and Dean hated it. Cas glowed all on his own. Next to his rapidly beating heart, Dean was strongly gripped with the urge to get Cas out of here, out of this chemical induced atmosphere, out of this cage of a room.

To Dean, Cas was an angel. And Cas was meant to fly, not be restricted to a bed with a broken arm, or more like a broken wing.

Dean was at Cas's bedside in two long strides, cupping his face with both hands, kissing him with as much fire as what was coursing through his veins. He promised himself he would do better for Cas. He would get Cas flying again, and he showed as much with every move of his lips against Cas's, with every nip to his bottom lip.

They pulled apart, foreheads sternly pressed together, like they both needed the contact to ensure that yes, the other was real and here. There breaths came out in harsh gust, hot and mingled together.

"Thank you," Cas rasped, and Dean drew back, confused. Cas looked at him with bright, intense eyes, bluer than they were moments ago, and spit shined lips. "Thank you for not making this awkward. For just going with this and not second guessing yourself."

Dean confusion quickly melted away to affection. "It was never about second guessing myself, Cas. I knew--I know how I feel about you." He started to stroke one thumb across Cas's warm cheek. "I know how I feel about you, and as for making things awkward, don't you think we already had enough of that? I mean, from the looks of it, we've been dancing around each other for over a month now and fumbling every time we're in the same room. And even worse when we were left alone." He couldn't stop his eyes from straying to the sleeping boy draped across Cas or the smile to surfaced.

"Yeah, you're right," Cas agreed. "We already did our awkward dance around each other.

"Yeah," Dean smiled then stared intently at Cas. "I love you, Cas. And I meant what earlier about not being the best boyfriend, but I'm going try to do better this time."

Cas stared back just as intense and said, "And I meant what I said about not having one for a long time and wouldn't know the difference between a good one and a bad one. But I don't believe you'll be a bad one or that you ever were. Besides, there will be no trying to do better. We're in this together. We'll do what we think is best for us, not what we're expected to do. Okay?"

Dean nodded and swallowed with some difficulty. "Okay."

"Good," He said and visibly relaxed. "And I love you, too."

That got a smile out of Dean, who leaned forward to capture Cas's lips in another long kiss. When he pulled back, looking at Cas's unguarded expression, he couldn't help but think that he helped lift Cas a little off the ground. And only a matter of time before he was amongst the cloud. And he couldn't help but think, looking at Cas, with his arms around Henry, smiling up at him, that they would be right here waiting for him to come home.

~~~✴~~~

Dean was stealing glances at Cas as he drummed his fingers on the steering wheel and hummed. It was Saturday night, and Cas was finally coming home. Finally.

"Eyes on the road, Dean," came the amused command. Dean looked over to the passenger's seat and winked. Cas's cheeks tinted, and Dean widely grinned before focusing on the road again. Even then, he couldn't help but sneak one last glance. Cas was in a dark-purple dress shirt, tightly fitted, sleeves rolled up and black jeans. Dean had almost let go of Cas's arm when he was helping Cas into to car. He was expecting linen or polyester, but what he got was silk, extremely soft silk--feather-like soft, even. Dean tried to recollect for a good minute the last time he ever felt something that soft, clothes wise. He did, however, remember that it looked suspiciously like rest of Cas clothes. It wasn't the first time he wondered if Cas was wealthy, but like last, he dismissed it. This time he blamed Cas wardrobe on his family since Anna all but threw the shirt and pants at Cas. He was fairly certain they were the wealthy ones.

Snickering pulled him out of his thoughts, and he peeked at Cas. "What?"

"Nothing," Cas chuckled. "I'm just surprised you hadn't caved and told Charlie yet." His chuckle grew to a full blown laugh now.

"I know," he grimly stated. He was more proud of himself than surprised.

"She did suspect something was up though," Cas mused, still smiling.

"Thank, god, mom got them to stay away, so you could rest," Dean solemnly reminded him.

"Thank, god, she got them to stay away or she got us more alone time?" Cas ribbed, and it was Dean's cheeks time to tint. He wasn't going to deny that the outcome was unwelcome. With Cas's family attention diverted to his party and his family held off, Dean was able to kiss Cas at his leisure. And kiss Cas, he did--well, until Henry complained about his hogging Cas. What could he say? They were both addicted to Cas's attention.

"Actually, I'm more surprised Henry left," Cas admitted, biting his lips. And Dean really wished he wouldn't do that now. He didn't want to show up to his house with a hard-on, especially if he couldn't do any anything about it.

"Well, someone has to make sure your party's prefect," Dean ribbed back, eyes set straight ahead.

"Yeah," Cas chuckled, and a silence fell over the car. Reluctantly, Dean stole another glance to find Cas staring straight ahead, worrying his bottom lip.

"Cas, there's nothing to worry about," Dean reassured him.

Cas humorlessly huffed. "I know, but the last time I was at your house, I was some guy you were helping out, who, in turn, kept your son happy. It's just...different this time--more."

Dean reached over, mindful of the cast, and took hold of his clenched fist. "It's better this time, and I'll be right there with you. Together, remember?"

Cas turned those blue eyes Dean had grown used to and smiled. "Together."

"Good," Dean said, giving his fist one last squeeze before releasing it, "'cus we're here." He parked the car behind his dad's. They were kind enough to leave parking space for him. He cut the engine, got out of the car and trod over to Cas's side.

"I can get out myself," he said, amused when Dean opened the door but took the offered hand.

"I know. I just..."

"Wanted to be chivalrous?" Cas supplied, closing the door.

Dean was going to answer but was struck by the scene before him. Cas was so close to him, face painted in gold by the setting sun. The way it painted a calm lake in gold, only to have it ruined but raising waves, but still breathtaking. Dean was suddenly hit with the knowledge that he could look at this anything he liked and not feel guilty about it.

"Dean?" Cas called, brows pulled together, adding more waves to his face.

Dean dropped his hand, snaked the very arm around Cas's waist and pulled him closer. He swallowed up Cas's surprised squeak with a heated kiss that Cas returned when he got his bearings together. Dean kept his tongue to himself, or else they would never get inside at this rate.

Dean pulled back and haggardly said, "We should get inside."

"Right, " Cas said after a few deep breaths then rubbed the back of his hand across his lips. "Don't look so smug, Dean. You have to worst timing--ever." It was true, kinda a bad time to lay one on the guy.

"Come on," Dean said, removing his arm from around Cas.

"Okay," Cas replied, standing shoulder to shoulder with Dean. "How are we going to do this?" Dean gave his a side-way smirk and started walking.

"Trust me," he threw over his shoulder and received a groan in response. He smirked hard and walked up to the door and opened it.

"Where's everyone?" he heard Cas asked.

"Out back," he answered, walking to the kitchen, where the back door was opened, but no sound was coming in. "After you," Dean said when they go to the back door.

Cas rolled his eyes and went out, and Dean followed.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CAS!" everyone shouted to which Cas took one look at the banner, hanging on the fence, and loudly groaned.

"Really?" Cas said, pointing to the white banner with bright-blue lettering that spelt out "HAPPY BIRTHDAY CASSIE!" But neither Cas's tone nor the banner had Dean hunched over, howling in laughter. What had Dean hunched over was the fact that the last three letters were sloppily crossed out.

"CAS!" Henry yelled as he came barreling towards Cas.

Everyone sucked in a breath and made an move forward, Dean included. Cas surged forward and hoisted him up. He gave a small bounce, so Henry was now sitting on his arm, his red shirt slightly riding up.

"Happy Birthday!" Henry shouted and wrapped his arms tightly around Cas's neck.

"Thank you, Henry," Cas said into his hair. Henry pulled back, beaming, and Cas kissed both his cheeks.

"Henry, you can't--"

"I'm fine, Dean," Cas sternly told him. "You all need to stop worrying so much."

"Okay," Dean replied, getting closer, "just...tell us if something's wrong, okay?"

Cas rolled his eyes but agreed. "Fine."

Dean wrapped an arm around his waist and drew his close then kissed his temple. "Nice banner, buddy," Dean praised Henry, ignoring the sharp intake of breaths.

"Thanks," he beamed at Dean then to Cas he asked, "Do you like it?"

Cas snorted then answered, "I do, especially since you got my name right." To Dean, he said, "I guess that's one way to tell them...or the only way, considering." He inclined his head in the direction of Dean's mom.

Dean burst out laughing then winked at Charlie, who still had her mouth opened, hair shining even brighter against her white t-shirt. Looked like his mom made this birthday party as casual as possible.

"I'm going to kill you," she announced. "When did this happen?!"

"You knew?!" his dad accused, glaring at his mom, who merely shrugged.

"Cas's family knew, too," Sam pointed out while looking at their smug, smiling faces.

"Cas," Henry called, tugging at his collar, "you have to see the cake Nana made."

"Good luck," Cas told Dean and moved out of his hold.

"Cas," Dean hissed, grabbing the laughing man by the hips and pulling him back against his chest. Dean secured his arms around Cas's waist to keep him in place. Charlie would make good on her threat. Dean was sure of it.

"Using Cas as a shield won't help you, Dean," she said, edging menacingly closer.

"I would never," Dean replied, affronted, pulling the three of them back, and, subsequently, placing Cas more in front of him. Cas's laugh was mere chuckles now, and Henry was looking leerily at his aunt. It was good to know one of them was on his side.

"Dean," she warned, quiet threateningly, too, and Dean stopped.

"Cas?"

"Yes, Charlie?" Cas cheerily questioned.

"I hate you," Dean mumbled.

"Funny," he mused, tilting his head to the left, "I could've sworn you said something else not too long ago."

Charlie's steps faltered, and she gazed questioningly at the two of them. The look didn't stay for long as it was instantly replaced with a scowl. It occurred to him that maybe, just maybe, he should have told her. She was the first to notice, and she was there for him during it all.

"Okay, I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier," Dean rushed out. Charlie simply narrowed her eyes, the distance between them ever growing smaller.

"Why is Aunty Charlie angry?" Henry whispered to Cas, earning a chorus of chuckles.

"Your dad was keeping information from her," Cas whispered back. Still looking at Charlie, Dean squeezed Cas and, if possible, pulled him closer. Both actions didn't escape Charlie's gaze. Her pine-green eyes burned brighter, and just like that, Dean wasn't as apprehensive. Anger was at the bottom of the list of emotions she was feeling right now. Dean's heart swelled when Cas rested his head against his.

"I thought you would be happy about this," he baited, resting his chin on Cas's shoulder. Cas wasn't the only happy about this being seamless--about this being right like they have been doing this for all their lives.

"Overjoyed, actually," she responded, voice thick. Possibly, she saw some of that, looking at them now. She swallowed with much difficulty then she stared at them with rapt attention and asked, "This is a thing? This is legit, right?" Her voice quivered towards the end. She wasn't angry, just worried this might not be real--some illusion. She could care less about being the first to know right. What she wanted was validation--for him. And Dean himself was coming to grips with the fact that this was happening, and Cas was very much real in his arms, very much relaxed and solid in his arms.

"Yeah, this is a thing--me and Cas are together," he proudly announced.

"Oh, my god," she exclaimed and propelled forward, hugging the three of them, until Henry started fussing and squirming. "Sorry," she apologized, surreptitiously rubbing her eyes.

"Is she--"

"Shut up, Sam," she snapped, and they all had sense enough to smother their laughter. Dean and her shared an indulgent smile when she looked up at him.

"Cas," Henry whined, "the cake."

"I'm going," Cas said, tickled, kissing his cheek, which instantly eased his grouchy mood.

"How about we feed Cas first, sweetie?" his mom asked, cheered.

"There's plenty of time for the cake later, Henry," Cas quickly said when he frowned.

"Okay," Henry mumbled.

"Dean?"

"Yeah, Cas?"

"You're going to need to let go."

Dean retracted his arms and smiled sheepishly. "Sorry," he muttered in spite of all the laughing. He wasn't all that bothered because there would be time for more of this later.

~~~✴~~~

Dean was in a really good place right now. What could be better than having his family and Cas's all together? What could be better that watching them all get along?

Sam and Kali was in one corner talking about legal work and some of the new clients that had contacted his firm. Balthazar was off in another corner lamenting with Ellen about the troubles of owning a bar with Andrea and Benny looking on. Gabriel was animatedly talking about his trip to Rio with Bobby and his dad, while Kali looked over ever so often with an expression that was halfway between wanting to tell him to stop from exaggerating and wanting to box him over the head. Jess and Anna were farther back, recounting stories about odd patients, with Jeff adding his own accounts of his furry patients.

And Cas...Cas was firmly pressed against his chest, discussing with Charlie the states with marriage equality bills up for debate. Dean was half listening, but most of his focus was on their interlocked fingers that rested on Cas's stomach. Cas's fingers were a little longer than his, but they were slimmer than Dean's fingers. Regardless, they were solid, warm and tightly slotted with Dean's that he couldn't help but rub his thumb against Cas's thumb. He would have been more delighted if Cas didn't smell so much like bleach and antiseptic.

He used the arm around Cas's waist to align himself more with Cas, who complied without missing a word. If he was honest with himself, he was focusing so much on Cas to ignore the sly glances and smiles everyone was giving them ever so often, like the one on Charlie's face right now. If he was equally as honest with himself, he was partly ignoring the conflicted looks Balthazar was giving him, like he really didn't know what to make of Dean, or he was ashamed about something and didn't know how to go about dealing with either of them. Frankly, he could make all the faces he wanted as long as he didn't have a problem with them being together.

"Cas!" Henry shouted from the back door. "It's time for cake." And then he was back inside.

"Come on," Cas said, pulling Dean by his hand, "we don't want him coming back outside to get us."

"Amen to that," Charlie said, following them inside.

Henry was on the other side of island, sitting on a stool in front of what Dean estimated as a foot long round red velvet cake with white frosting and a two and a eight sticking out. His mom and Gilda were right in front of him.

Wait.

"Wait," he said, and Cas stopped and faced him. "We're the same age?"

"Yes," Cas answered, confused. "I'm pretty certain I mentioned it before."

"Cas."

Cas shook his head and pulled the final distance, until they were standing next to Henry. Once there, Dean was able to get a good look at the cake. In front of the two candles were the words "Happy Birthday Cas" in what appeared to be melted chocolate.

"Wow," Cas softly muttered.

"Told you," Henry smugly declared.

"You did," Cas relented then to his mom and Gilda, "Thank you."

"You're welcome, dear," his mom said and handed over the knife she was holding as Gilda lit the two candles.

"Don't even think about it," Cas warned, knife pointing in Gabriel's direction.

"Cas," Dean chuckled.

"Trust me," Cas gravely said, "you don't want him singing." And Gabriel pouted while the rest of Cas's family started laughing. Cas looked at Henry and asked, "Want to help me blow out the candles?"

"Yeah!" he cheered, sitting up straighter.

"Okay," Cas leaned down, "On the count of three. One...two--Gabriel."

"Okay-okay."

"One...two...three," Cas said and blew out the eight while Henry blew out the two.

"Yay!" Henry yelled.

"Here," his mom said, holding a small white plate and a fork that Dean accepted while Cas cut the cake with practice eased. He put a small slice on the plate then put down the knife and took the fork.

He broke off a small pieces and put it in his mouth, chewing methodically. "Not bad," he praised, grinning at Gilda and his mom.

"I helped," Henry announced in a sullen tone.

"Well, you did a good job, too," Cas remarked, holding out a piece for him, which Henry gladly accepted, happily humming as he chewed.

"Where's my piece?" Dean teased, half kidding.

Cas merely smirked before stabbing a piece with his fork. Dean could hear snickering. Cas lifted the fork up to Dean mouth...and missed, smearing frosting on the right side of Dean's mouth. "Oops," he said biting his lip, and everyone burst out laughing.

Dean surged forward and molded their mouths together, rubbing his cheek against Cas's. Dean drew back and smirked at his stunned expression. "You got some," he said pointing at Cas's face, and everyone laughed harder.

Dean and Cas just stood there grinning at each other's cake covered faces.

~~~✴~~~

"One more story," Henry yawned, causing the two adults on either side of him to laugh.

"You're about to fall asleep, buddy," Dean chuckled.

"Am--" he yawned, "--not." Dean chuckled as Cas shook his head.

"I'll tell you what," Cas started. "I'll read you an extra story tomorrow night, okay?"

"Okay," he mumbled, pulling his blanket higher up.

"Okay," Cas said, kissing the top of his head. "Goodnight, sweet prince."

"Night, Cas."

"Night, buddy," Dean said, giving him a kiss to the forehead.

"Night...dad."

"Cas?" he quietly call.

"Yes, Henry?" Cas answered.

"Can we have pancakes tomorrow?" he requested, trying to open his eyes and failing.

"Of course." Dean wanted to object, but he knew that it was going to happen regardless, so he held his tongue.

"Thanks," he sleepily mumbled then drifted off to sleep.

Dean quickly got of the bed help Cas up.

"You need to stop worrying so much," he said as soon as he was up.

"Sorry," Dean shrugged. "Force of habit. I do have a three-year-old."

Cas softly chuckled and said, "Come on." And Dean followed him out of Henry's room and into the hall. "Okay," Cas hesitantly said when they were a few feet away from his door. And Dean would never quite get over how Cas looked with moonlit skin--all ethereal and marble-like. "I better get to bed before these painkillers start working."

"Yeah," Dean said, dry throat. He wasn't quite sure how the atmosphere got tense. Being alone with Cas had never been tense since they confessed to each other.

"I'll see tomorrow," Cas said with a wan smile, like he wanted to ask something, the same way Dean wanted to ask something but didn't know what.

"Yeah, okay," he said. "Goodnight, Cas."

"Goodnight, Dean," he replied. That wasn't what Dean wanted, and he didn't know why. Dean closed this distance between them and kissed him, soft and sweet.

Cas smiled at him when the separated, more open and less forced this time. He then turned around and walked to his room. And 'his room' sat heavy in Dean's stomach. But Dean pushed it down and walked into his room. He didn't bother closing his door in case Henry or Cas needed him during the night.

Dean heavily sighed and started unbuttoning the green-plaid shirt he was wearing. He looked up when he was finished and noticed his bed. His empty bed. Fuck. Dean felt like he was doused with cold water. That was what was wrong. How could spending two day with Cas in the same room already had him so dependent?

This would explain the heaviness he felt coming into the room. He already got used to having him close, and by the look on Cas's face, Cas did, too.

Dean stormed out his room and toward Cas's room, shirt flying open. When he got there, Cas was on the edge of his bed, phone in his hand.

He looked up, surprised. "Dean--"

"I don't want to sleep alone," Dean blurted out. He should have thought about this beforehand.

Cas didn't say anything, only put his phone his pillow, and got up, smiling. Relief swept through Dean, and he allowed Cas to grab his hand and drag him back to his room.

"Pick a side," Dean said when they got there.

"Window," he answered, and Dean nodded.

Cas started to unbuttoned his pants--yawning as he did--and failing. Dean shook his head and walked up to him. Dean took Cas's hand, as Cas went still, and removed it. Dean then unbuttoned his pants and pulled his zipper down. Nothing about it felt sexual at this moment. He was helping Cas like Cas had been doing for him this past month. He help Cas step of of his jeans then started on his shirt.

"Just the buttons," Cas murmured, resting his forehead against Dean's. "Don't have enough strength to get out of it."

"Right," Dean chuckled. "Go lie down," Dean said when he finished, and Cas nodded, rubbing their foreheads together. Cas then walked to the bed. Dean shed his shirt and went to work on his pants. Once out of them, he looked up to see Cas on his back, eyes closed and chest rising and falling at a steady pace.

Dean shook his head fondly, walking toward the bed. He lowered gently lowered onto the bed. He thought about lying on his back like Cas, but decided against it. Cas didn't want this to be awkward, and he wasn't going to do that by overthinking things. He already did that earlier.

Dean rolled onto his side and draped an arm across Cas's waist and drew him flushed against his side. He put the other arm under Cas's waist and rested his head on Cas's shoulder. He released a big gust of air when Cas snuggled close to him. Dean closed his eyes and let sleep come.

 This felt right.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm planning on writing a sterek fic after this one. Really excited for that one. 
> 
> I want to finish this first before starting a new project.
> 
> Thanks for reading.


	10. Variable: Assurance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cas's family leaves, but he's fine because he has a new family. (I suck at summaries.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, this took so long. I have really been procrastinating, like a lot. Then all my friends just popped out of nowhere. There so needy sometimes. I kid. lol
> 
> Hope you enjoy the chapter. And hope your summer is going well.

As Dean slowly gained consciousness, the first this he noted was how unusually warm he was. Sure the weather was getting increasingly warmer, but it never went above eighty-five for the past few day. So, he had no explanation for his overheated body--his heated yet insanely comfortable body. He rubbed his face into his pillow only to realize he wasn't sleeping on his pillow. It was much softer than his pillow, and he was pretty sure there was a button nestled under his eye. Eyes still tightly shut, Dean scrounged up his face and pulled his arms closer to him. His eyes shot open when he brought more that just his arms closer. He brought an entire body closer.

Cas.

Disbelief grappled with his tired mind. How in the world could he had forgotten that he asked Cas to sleep with him last night? How could he had forgotten last night when he had a silky purple shirt and a shoulder plastered against his face? How could he had forgotten with the firm back resting on his arm or with the arm draped across a soft stomach that slowly rose and fell? Had he really been that comfortable that he didn't notice any of these things? Possibly.

Now wide awake, he was noticing a lot more things. There was a less hairy arm on top of his with fingers intertwined with his where Dean was gripping a slim hipbone. Dean knew for a fact their hands were separated last night. One of Dean's legs ran parallel to Cas while the other was decked across both of Cas's with its knees bent. A few inches higher, and Dean would've met with the tip of Cas's morning-wood that was encased in black boxer-briefs. Dean's face heated up, especially his cheeks and around his ears, when he realized how utterly pressed up against Cas he was--his own erection separated from Cas's thigh by a thin layer of cotton and growing with every second that ticked by. Dean wasn't some dog in heat, and he certainly wasn't going to dry hump the guy's thigh.

Dean lifted his head off Cas's shoulder and tried to move up, to put some distance between Cas and a certain body part, only to hiss through his teeth when his leg pushed Cas's erection up. Cas whimpered in his sleep and huddled closer to Dean. Dean huffed out a resigning gust of air and pulled Cas closer to him when he finally got his head onto his pillow, or Cas's pillow to be exact, leg now straight but still slung over Cas's with their feet tangled together. He let the hope inside him well up with the thoughts of Cas having his own side of the bed and his own pillow. Dean quickly replaced the hope with determination. He was going to make sure Cas slept with him from now on. And Cas would have his own side of the bed and own pillow even if Dean had to fetch the ones from his _old_ room.

Dean suppressed his grin when Cas turned his head towards him, causing their noses to rest on top of each other. Dean pulled him closer--if that was even possible--unable to stop the sense of rightness he felt from yesterday. Cas surmised their interactions as being effortless due to their refusal to make this awkward, but Dean wasn't so sure. Everything about their situation felt natural. It felt natural to rub the sole of Cas's foot with the back of his. It felt natural to have Cas's breath ghost across his cheek. It felt natural to have Cas's fingers crossed with his, however loose they may be. It felt natural caressing Cas's hipbone with him thumb, which shouldn't be a surprise considering the amount of time he spent thinking about them. It just felt natural having Cas so close and all to himself.

Dean really wanted to kiss him right, morning breath be damned, but Cas needed as much rest as possible. Dean wasn't about to jeopardize Cas's chance at healing as swiftly as possible, anything to see his angel carrying his son about, to see his angel use his hands to make god-knows-what. Anything to see something other than pain when his angel moved his arm.

So, if Dean couldn't kiss him, he would settle with just pressing their foreheads together and caressing Cas's hip with his thumb, sharing their warmth. The sharing of warmth didn't last long. Not even five minutes later and Cas was starting to move about. Dean opened his eyes when he felt the forehead next to his furrowed. He surged forward the small distance between them and pressed his lips to Cas. Cas stilled for a second then melted against Dean. Dean smiled against Cas's lips and widened his smile when Cas smiled back.

Dean pulled back then tried moving Cas's head with his nose. Cas lifted up his head, chuckling, as Dean sought out the juncture between Cas's head and shoulder. When his nose came in contact with skin, Dean breathed in deep and smiled into the skin. Cas no longer smelled like harsh chemical: he smelled like the lavender laundry detergent he bought last week. All Cas needed was a night in Dean's bed, and the stench, for a lack of better word, of the past was a thing of the past. Dean was going to allow himself to dwell on the double meaning of _a night in his bed_ because he was allowed to think that way about Cas. No more did he hvae to feel guilty and appalled with himself for thinking of Cas in any way sexually. Besides, Cas sure didn't seem to have a problem with his thoughts with what the erection tightly pressed to the side of his thigh.

"No," Dean grumbled, using the hand on Cas's hip to hold him in place when he tried turn on his side. It would be better if Cas stayed on his back since he would have a secure place to rest his broken arm on, and he really need to rest...and...and Dean really, really liked having his morning-wood pressed up against Cas's heated thigh.

"Dean," Cas groggily said, yawning at the end.

"Go back to sleep," Dean instructed, but it sound more like a plea, rubbing his face into Cas's neck. He was starting to see Henry's obsession with Cas's neck. Dean could get used to rubbing his face on smooth, warm flesh. He wondered where else was smooth and warm. He also wondered why did Cas have to be a morning person? It was almost as if he didn't need sleep at all, some sort of superpower maybe. Dean would kill for that.

"I have to make pancakes, remember?" Cas reminded him and tired to move again. Dean knew that, but would it kill him to just snuggle for a few more minutes? Or an hour. Okay, Dean was just asking for an hour--honest.

"Cas," Dean unabashedly whined when Cas started squirming. "Stop. Henry's not even awake yet." The overwhelming urge to hit himslef coursed through his veins because now that he had vocalized those words, Henry was sure to wake up. Now, Dean loved that kid, not even all the pies in the world would change that, but Dean just got Cas. Henry had him for a whole month. Dean was allowed a few more minutes. Dean didn't care how petulant it sounded--he wasted enough time as it was.

"All the more reason to get up now and make them," Cas remarked, trying to unwind his fingers for Dean's and removing the hand gripping his hip.

"Cas, five more minutes," Dean pleaded, but Cas was unrelenting, finally getting his fingers free. "Cas, stop-I love you." Cas stilled for a second then barked out a loud laugh which had him using Dean's hand to clutch his stomach. Soon after, Cas stopped laughing and relaxed. Dean hummed and linked their fingers back together. It still shocked him how much he liked hand holding.

Cas sighed and said, "Don't get all cocky, that's not going to work all the time."

"We'll see," Dean smirked and kissed Cas's neck, feeling deeply pleased with the soft gasp it elicited. Dean's smirking intensified the more Cas relaxed in his arms, and he proceeded to rub his five o'clock shadow along Cas's neck. Cas sighed, and Dean kissed his neck again, recollecting how Cas stated his love for guys with a stubble. It wasn't until their tangled fingers dug into Cas's hip that Dean realized just how much Cas loved stubble. His breathing was starting to get labored, and he was crushing Dean's fingers with his own. Dean was going to have to stop this now, not for Cas's sake but for his, considering how his mind wondered what it would be like to have his mouth against something other that Cas's neck.

Cas made a small whimpering sound when Dean pulled back. "We can't." Dean said, defeated.

"Oh," Cas softly said, almost a whisper, face turning away from Dean. He sounded so resigned and disappointed...and a little sad.

Dean squeezed him and said, "I want to." From Cas's tone, he had assumed Dean didn't want to do this with a guy. And Dean didn't. He just wanted it do it with Cas. To show he meant it, Dean rolled his hips against Cas's thigh. "I really, _really_ want to, Cas, but you're in a cast, and if-when we do this, I don't want any of us worrying about you hurting your arm."

"Right," Cas said and faced Dean again, sighing with his eyes closed. Dean rested his forehead against Cas's, slotting their nose back together. "Stupid cast," he grumbled, and it was Dean's turn to throw his head back and laugh.

"I know, right?" Dean wheezed and kissed Cas. Dean rested his head back on the pillow, so the tips of their noses were touching as they grinned at each other. Dean gave Cas small Eskimo kisses. It looked like Dean would do just about anything to keep touching Cas. The yamn that erupted from his mouth caught him off guard and so did Cas, who moved his head back slightly. "Sorry," Dean muttered under his breath when he finished yawning.

"It's fine," Cas told him. "Morning breath isn't really your fault." Dean rolled his eyes at him, while Cas smiled wider, and went back to kissing Cas. A large part of Dean hoped he would never get used to kissing Cas. An even bigger part of him liked how responsive Cas was to him, eagerly following every move Dean made and putting in as much effort as Dean did. Dean sucked and nipped on Cas's bottom lip harder as Cas hummed his assent.

"I could really learn to take this for granted," Dean panted when the pulled apart. Cas was in the same state as Dean was, chest rising and falling rapidly, lips glistening, and cheeks flushing with a deep red.

"Yeah," Cas agreed as Dean stared into those two night skies Cas had for eyes, seeing the love in his own forest-green eyes reflected there. Dean was looking among them for any form of discomfort. Sure, Cas said he was fine, but Dean wanted to be absolutely sure. He wanted to take care of Cas. "What?" Cas said with joint eyebrows, making Dean realize he was staring too intently at Cas's face.

"Just checking to see that you're okay," Dean said. There was no point in trying to lie. Something told him he wouldn't be able to lie to Cas or get away with it.

Cas sagged his shoulder or as much as he could, lying down and all. "Dean, I'm fine," said Cas, smiling reassuringly at him.

"I was--"

"Dean," Cas interrupted him, "I promise I will tell you the second anything is wrong, okay?" Cas was squeezing his hand, silently begging him to believe him. Dean never truly realized how bright Cas's eyes could shine when he felt strongly about something. For the umpteen time, Dean was left wondering how closed off Cas was to him.

"Okay," Dean agreed, leaning forward to lightly peck Cas on the lips. Never again would Cas be closed off to him.

"Good," Cas seriously said. "Besides, I have the best painkillers Anna could get her hands on in my room."And Dean felt a stabbing sensation in his chest.

"You're room?" he croaked out.

"Yeah, my room," Cas slowly said and tilted his head to the side, away from Dean, confused.

' _Right_ ,' Dean thought, ' _this isn't actually Cas's room._ ' Dean only asked him here because he got so used to having him close by. He shouldn't be surprised that Cas got attached to the room he was staying in. All his stuff was there, too. Besides, they have only recently got together, and Dean couldn't just asked to move into his room with him.

Yes, he could. Screw everything. This wasn't just about having Cas close. Dean loved Cas. Dean wanted him close because of it. Dean wanted him in his arms every night and every morning, and he wasn't going to have Cas walk to the other room every morning to get his things to get ready for the day. Judging by how relaxed Cas was in his arms, he wanted to be here just as much.

Cas told him before that they shouldn't do what was expected of them just what they were thought was right for them. Asking Cas to move all his stuff into Dean's room was right for them. It would be further prove to Cas that Dean was sure of this--that he wanted Cas in their lives, even though Cas had taken up their entire lives already. Sure, it wasn't the normal thing to do, but nothing about their situation was normal. Dean asked the guy to move in with him after meeting him all of two times. He absolutely trusted this guy with the one thing that meant everything to him. He fell in love with the guy without even knowing it. Nothing about any of this was normal. And Dean wasn't about to treat it as such.

"This could be your room," Dean said, staring at the array of emotions that played across Cas's eyes: surprise, shock, disbelief, hope, excitement--and love.

"Yeah?" Cas tentatively asked.

"Yeah," Dean softly said, ushering him closer and capturing his lips in a long kiss. Dean pulled away, and Cas frowned in displeasure. "When do you want to move your stuff?"

"We can do it tomorrow," Cas replied after a moment's thought.

"Tomorrow's good," Dean agreed. He would rather have Cas permanently in his room as soon as possible, but they could do everything tomorrow. Dean was more interested in convincing Cas to forgo making breakfast and stay in bed instead.

Cas nodded his head and inched closer to Dean. It seemed Dean wasn't the only one that couldn't get enough physical contact. It was entirely possible they were making sure the other was real and here. Dean knew it was for him since every breath Cas took was proof enough that the angel was alive and happy being in his arms. Dean smiled and pulled him closer--seriously the space between them was non-existent. Cas couldn't get any closer without fusing himself to Dean.

Dean closed his forest-green eyes only to have them shot open when he heard a small, excited voice shouted, "Cas!" Dean twisted his neck to look at the doorway. Oddly enough, his doorway was lacking a certain miniature version of him. One of his eyebrows rose just in time to hear a quiet, confused voice say, "Cas?"

The dark-haired man in his arms shook in silent laughter before he called out in an amused voice. "In here, Henry." A few seconds later his door was finally filled with a confused three-year-old, dressed only in a white brief.

"Cas?" their increasingly confused prince said.

Cas lifted his head to peek over Dean's shoulder. "Good morning," he said then added, "What happened to your shirt?" Dean was wondering the very same thing. Henry went to bed with his Ironman shirt; Dean would know, seeing as he was the one to put the shirt on Henry.

Henry didn't answer him, of course. He ran to the bed, widely grinning along the way. He quickly pushed himself unto the bed and over Dean's shoulder. "Dad," he whined, and Dean reluctantly moved back to make room for him, and soon one arm was under Henry and the other resting on Cas's stomach, Cas laughing through it all. Dean was left facing the back of a head that was a mirror of his own, only smaller. And Dean's head wasn't that big. Thank you very much, Charlie.

"Morning," Cas reiterated, smiling.

"What are you doing here?" Henry said instead. Dean snorted, ruffling Henry's hair, while Cas chuckled.

Cas turned on his side, dislodging Dean hand. "Cas," Dean protested, but Cas ignored him.

"I was sleeping here," Cas answered, and Dean settled for resting his hand on Cas's hips. It took quite the effort. Dean would assure one of that. Honest.

"Why?" Henry asked, trying to tilt his head but failing due to the pillow under his head. Dean bit back a laugh.

"When two grown-ups love each other, they share the same bed, Henry," Cas replied. Dean would have just went with a simple 'Why not?' He was lucky he was only left in charge of one kid. He did a pretty good job with one, but he wasn't going to test his luck with a group of them.

"Oh," the little prince quietly said. One of his little hands found its way to the button section of Cas's shirt, where it fisted into a ball. "You'll still cuddle with me, right?" Dean's heart shattered then melted and, from the look on Cas's face, so did his.

"I would like to see someone try and stop me," Cas remarked with conviction, and he surged forward to place a kiss on both sides of Henry's cheeks, his forehead, and finally his nose--Henry giggling and gripping his shirt tighter. Dean's chest was feeling far too tight in this moment. Dean never knew what he would've done if Cas didn't love Henry or if Henry didn't love Cas. Lucky of him, he didn't have to. Cas loved Henry as much as Dean did, and Henry loved them both with the same intensity.

Dean kissed the back of Henry's head and muttered, "They'd be stupid to even try," while absentmindedly running his thumb across Cas's waist.

Cas looped his good hand over Henry's head to run his fingers through the top of Dean's head, who hummed then pouted when Cas removed his fingers to card through Henry's hair. Henry hummed and moved closer to Cas, Dean following close behind. Cas shook his head at the two of them, but alternated between carding his fingers through their hairs. Dean's mind drew up the image of Grandma Deanna doing the same when he couldn't fall asleep. Pretty soon, Dean could feel his eyelids becoming heavy and judging by how relaxed Henry was against him so were his. Dean gave Cas's hip a squeeze before he drifted off to sleep. It looked like all Dean needed to do to keep Cas in bed was get Henry. Dean was also going to need to set up the AC because it looked like this was going to be happening more often than not.

Dean should have known better than to hope for more sleep with a son like Henry. What may had been thirty minutes after they fell asleep, Henry woke up squirming and demanding to be fed. Normally, Dean would have been proud of the blatant display of Winchester virtue, but he was tired, and warm, and comfortable. And since no-one, certainly not Cas, could deny Henry anything, Dean found himself seated at the island, unabashedly staring at Cas's ass, which was partly hidden by the shirt he was still wearing. Dean planned on convincing Cas to stay in his boxer-briefs until Dean left for work every day and for the whole day on weekends becuase Cas had a nice ass. And the fact that they were tight boxer-briefs was an added bonus. Dean really needed to get his hands on Cas. And Dean really needed to keep that impulse under lock and key.

The source of Dean's frustration was standing in front of his stove, flipping pancakes while explaining to Henry, who was sitting on the counter, next to the stack of freshly cooked pancakes, why he liked Big Bird more than Elmo. Henry wasn't too thrilled about the admission and demanded an explanation. Dean was paying attention, but he got distracted.

"I still like Elmo better," Henry stubbornly said as Cas turned the stove off and put the spatula down.

"That's perfectly fine, Henry," Cas laughed and walked up to him, Henry opening his arms.

"I'll get the plates," Dean quickly said, shooting out of his chair. Dean rushed over to them, stopping to kiss Henry's cheek then Cas's cheek just to see him blush, before going to get the knives, forks, and plates. When Dean gathered everything, he faced the island, stack of pancakes in one hand and empty plates in the other, to see Henry seated on the other side of the island with Cas standing in front of him. Dean was momentarily confused before he remembered Henry wouldn't be able to sit on Cas's lap because of the cast. Stupid cast. Dean shrugged and walked to the island, depositing the stack of pancakes and empty plates next to Cas when he got there.

"Thanks," Cas said, taking one of the plates, a knife, and one of the forks. Dean didn't say anything. He merely stood behind Cas and snaked an arm around his waist. He hooked his chin over Cas's shoulder and grinned down at his son, who grinned back. They were probably the two happiest people alive.

Cas shook his head and loaded pancakes onto the plate. He started cutting them into little bite size pieces with Dean's help. "Dean, you forgot the maple syrup."

Dean sighed and separated from Cas, walking back to the counter to get the bottle of maple syrup. When he got back, Cas had another plate filled with pancakes and in the middle of filling another plate. He uncapped the bottle and syrup on Henry's plate then his and finally Cas's when he was finished. The two adults took their seats, and they all started digging in. The atmosphere was less stifling that it used to be like the tie around their necks that was slowly choking them had been cut off. Neither adults had to worry about how they acted around each. Dean couldn't help but think this could have been happening sooner if they had been honest with each other but better late than never.

"What do guys want to do today?" Dean asked when everyone finished eating. Unsurprisingly, Henry finished first. Dean was hoping one of them would suggest they go back to bed.

"I'm fine with anything," Cas said, looking at Henry, who was frowning at him.

"We should watch TV," Henry announced.

"Of course," Dean said, rolling his eyes, and smiled when Cas smacked his arm.

"We could do that," Cas said and won a big smiled from Henry.

"For the whole day?" Dean frowned and won a glare from Henry. Maybe Henry didn't love them the same.

"No, Dean," Cas answered, "just long enough for us to come up with something else. Well, you guys, really, since I have to go to the airport later on."

"What?" Henry said, stricken. "Where are you going?" Dean knew there had to be a rational explanation as to why Cas was going to the airport, but all rationality left him the moment Cas said he was going somewhere. He knew Cas said he intended to stay with them, but old fears refused to let go.

Cas reached out and parted Henry's hair to the side and said, "Anna and the rest of them are going home today. I'm just going to the airport to see them off." Dean and Henry relaxed as one. ' _See? There was nothing to worry about._ '

"Good," Henry said then blushed and lowered his head as Cas threw his back to bellow a laugh. Dean was happy he wasn't the one to respond. He probably would have said something along the lines of 'thank, god,' or something.

"Henry," Cas wheezed, "I have no intention of going anywhere anytime soon." Even though he said it to Henry, Cas looked at Dean out of the corner of his eyes. Dean's heart started hammering in his chest. It was entirely possible that Cas knew all about his past and was trying to reassure him that he was here to stay. If that was true, which Dean strongly believed, then he loved Cas a little more and would do right by him. He had given Dean so much, and it was Dean's turn to give some back. Dean's hand made it to Cas's thigh, and he gave it a squeeze. Cas's hand found his own, and he squeezed back.

"Okay," Henry said, beaming at him.

"Why don't you go find something for us to watch?" Cas prompted, and Henry nodded emphatically then jumped off the stool, running in the direction of the living room. Cas turned to face him.

"Cas--" Dean started to say only to be cut off when Cas cupped the back of his head and crashed their lips together. It was the first time Cas took the lead. The kiss wasn't as synchronized at the others, more teeth than anything, but it had more intent than the others. Each movement of Cas's lips was keying Dean into how much Cas actually wanted to be here, how much he wanted this--wanted him. The finally broke apart, foreheads pressed together, breathing haggard.

"You," Cas breathed out, "really need to stop worrying."

"Cas--"

"I'm not about to up and leave you, Dean," he sternly stated. "When I agreed to be your boyfriend, I agreed to stay as long as you'll have me. And I intend to follow through with that. The day I leave will be the day you no longer want me. Got it?" Cas's breathing was still labored, his cheeks were extremely flushed, and his eyes bore deep into Dean. Dean's heart was still banging against his chest, and his words were trapped in his throat.

"What if I piss you off?" Dean croaked out. It wasn't what he wanted to say, far from it, but it was out there now.

Cas vehemently rolled his eyes at him, mouth hanging open in exasperation. "Of course, you're going to piss me off, similar to how I'm going to piss you off at some point in time, but that doesn't mean I'm going to just get up and leave. _I love you, Dean_. And I'm willing to battle through all of our fights to stand by your side. To stay by your side to experience the times when we'll laugh, and cry, and remember how happy we are. Because let me tell you, the day you kissed me was the happiest I have been in years, and I don't want to let that go--I don't want to let you go." Cas stopped talking and stared imploringly at Dean. "Dean, please say something," Cas desperately pleaded.

Dean didn't know what to say. He didn't know what his insecurities turned into Cas pleading with him to let him stay with him. In a matter of minutes, Cas had shown more care for him than anyone else he had even been in love with. Dean's heart was beating even faster and his mind was stringing thoughts faster than he could process them. Dean had always been to one doing the pleading, and looking at Cas now--eyes slightly clouded over with uncertainty and fear, face marred in despair--he realized something: Cas did nothing wrong. Cas just loved him. Cas loved him the way he loved them. Dean was starting to realize that, just maybe, he, too, did nothing wrong. He loved them, and he tried what he could to make them happy. He even tried winning them back, just like Cas was doing even though he did nothing wrong.

Dean got off his stool and molded his mouth with Cas, swallowing up his surprised squeak. All of his attention was focused on the man before him. Dean didn't take his mouth off Cas even when Cas got off his stool. Dean merely wrapped an arm around his waist and used his free hand to cup the back of Cas's head, pulling him flushed against him. It was Dean's turn to show Cas how much he wanted him with every move of his lips. Dean swiped his tongue over Cas's lips, and Cas opened his mouth. Dean's tongue dove into Cas's mouth, and Dean wasted no time running his tongue over every surface he could find. Every small moan Cas made only prompted Dean to put more effort. Eventually, the need to breathe got the better of him, and Dean pulled back. Dean buried his head into the space between Cas's head and shoulder and breathe in.

"I love you," Dean said.

"I love you, too," Cas rasped. Dean slowly stroked Cas's neck with his face, feeling how Cas sighed and relaxed. After some time, Cas asked, "Does this mean you're convinced I'm not going to run off and leave you?" Dean merely nodded. "Good," Cas said, "because I mean it. I'm staying for as long as you want me."

Dean pulled Cas closer and buried his face deeper into Cas's neck. There are a lot of things that Dean was unsure about, but he undoubtedly knew to believe in the voice that told him he wanted Cas for forever. He would want Cas for forever. He also knew that his insecurities and feelings of inadequacy would show up again, but Cas was offering a chance for him to do better and for him to overcome them. And he wasn't about to throw that away. For the first time, he was starting to believe that he did nothing wrong, and he wasn't cursed. If Cas was willing to fight for him, then he was someone worth having.

_This was the happiest Dean had been in years._

~~~✴~~~

"Is that your mom?" Cas asked, confused, and Dean almost missed a step.

"What?" Dean responded, stopping and turning to face the dark-haired man. Cas's hair was still a mess as usual. Dean tried fixing it with his fingers, after kissing the living daylight out of Cas, of course. Dean wasn't to be blamed this time. Cas insisted he wear a tight fitted white dress shirt, sleeves rolled up. Dean still wasn't buying the whole buttoned sleeves would be easier to get a cast through. Cas knew what the shirt would do to Dean, and he exploited that. That would certainly explain the skinny black jeans Cas decided to wear. But the thing that really caught Dean's attention was the scandal Cas was wearing. Cas was wearing black, leather, gladiator sandals. It was an open-toed sandal with leather strips that formed two Xs with the last one attaching to the buckle that went around his ankle. Right now, it looked pretty good on Cas, and Dean felt bad for snickering earlier. Maybe, he felt back because while Cas was looking through his box of footwear, he found his fine, sliver rope chain. The rope chain was currently around Cas's neck, resting on his collarbone, drawing someone's eyes to his neck, and the two opened top buttons. Karama really did get him good.

Dean was wearing a dark-red shirt with tiny black spades on it and light-blue jeans. He opted out for normal footwear, so black sneakers it was. Dean would have thought he didn't compare with Cas if it wasn't for how much time spent staring at him, to the point where Henry complained about them being late. The little boy on Dean's arm was wearing his white t-shirt with Elmo on it and light-blue jeans like Dean's. (Cas really shouldn't have mentioned his love for Big bird. Henry would try his best to convert him). He went with his plain white sneakers instead. He was also wearing a scowl on his face. It wasn't Dean's fault Cas made him almost trip.

"Your mom," Cas said and nodded his head once.

Dean turned his head and followed Cas's line of sight, and sure enough, there was his mom standing with Cas's family with his dad by her side. She was wearing dark-blue jeans and a yellow blouse. His dad had on black jeans and a blue and white checkered shirt. The others were in similar attire: black jeans and a red blouse for Anna, dark-blue jeans and a green t-shirt for Jeff, black jeans and a navy-blue, low neckline shirt for Balthazar (surprise there), and dark-blue jeans and a light-blue dress shirt for Kali. Dean was wrong. Everyone wasn't wearing similar attire. Gabriel was wearing gray sweats and a white t-shirt with the Cookie Monster on it. Dean was starting to see why Henry liked him so much.

"Mom," Dean said, straight faced, and Cas snorted from his place right next to him.

"Nana!" Henry shouted before his mom could answer.

"Hi, sweetheart," his mom smiled and held her arms open. Dean rolled his eyes and handed over her overexcited grandson.

"Nana?" Henry called, tapping on her collar. Dean didn't see the point of that. His mom was staring right at him.

"Yes, sweetie?" She sweetly answered.

"Cas doesn't like Elmo," he tattled.

"I never said that, Henry," Cas protested. Everyone burst out laughing while Henry narrowed his eyes at Cas, and Cas pouted. "I like Elmo," Cas assured him, and everyone laughed louder, gaining a few stares from passing passengers.

"No," Henry said shaking his head, "you like Big Bird." The laughter had died down a little, and everyone was grinning at the two of them.

"I like Elmo," Cas repeated. "You convinced me Elmo is better than Big Bird." And the laughter started up again. Henry stared at Cas leerily for a few seconds before he opened his arms. Cas stepped forth with a big grin on his face.

"Cas--" Dean started to say but stopped when Cas rolled his eyes.

"I'll put him down if I get tired," Cas assured him, allowing Dean's mom to place him on the crook of his arm.

"Elmo is better than Big Bird, right?" Henry asked, causing a round of snickering.

"Yes, Henry. Elmo is better than Big Bird," Cas seriously stated then kissed his cheek. Henry nodded his head and curled his fingers around Cas's chain instead of his collar. It would appear the chain also got Henry's attention. And the entire situation explained why Henry didn't put up much of a fuss when Cas couldn't hold him.

"How are you feeling?" Anna asked, moving closer to them and smiling at Henry, who smiled back.

"Ask Dean," Cas said with a slight huff.

Dean rolled his eyes and answered, "He's fine. Took his pain meds and refrained from moving his arm too much."

"Okay. Good," the redhead said. "Was there any other discomfort? Breathing, maybe?"

"His breathing's fine," Dean smirked, and it was Cas's turn to roll his eyes. Henry's eyes were roaming over his face and chest, looking for any sign of an ailment.

"There's nothing wrong, Anna," Cas told her. "I feel much better than I've two day ago. You're almost as worst as Dean." He had an exasperated tone, but he shot Dean a fond smile. Dean's insides slowly started to warm, pushing away the discomfort he felt from Balthazar's intense staring.

Anna tiredly sighed. Dean could relate. Cas was a terrible patient. "Okay, fine. You're all right."

"Yes," he matter of factly stated. "Now, what time is your flight?"

"It's almost as if you don't want us here, Cassie. But that's not true, right?" Gabriel sarcastically drawled.

"Nice shirt," Cas smirked, ignoring his question the same way Gabriel was ignoring him to look at the glare Henry was leveling him with.

"In half an hour's time." Balthazar finally decided to do something other than stare at Dean. Dean blushed when he looked at Cas's cast. Maybe, he shouldn't have written his name quite so large...or his entire name. He was relieved he didn't go with the 'Property of' he had originally planned on. He was also relieved there was space for Henry's crooked 'HW' on Cas's upper arm.

"All of you?" his angel asked. Dean could get used to calling Cas 'his' and to the tightness in his chest.

"Me and Anna's flight leaves in an hour," Jeff informed him.

"You didn't know?" his mom asked. Dean wanted to know how she knew. They weren't even her family. Well, they weren't her family yet. The talk Dean had with Cas this morning pretty much ensured Cas would be around for a very long time and, naturally, so would his family.

"Anna only told me to get to the airport at three," Cas responded, narrowing his eyes at his sister, who ignored him to wave at Henry. "Do you want to hold him?"

"Yes," she instantly said and shoved her black handbag at her husband. Cas minutely shook his head with a look filled with utter exasperation and embarrassment only a sibling could mustered up. Dean was familiar with the look. Cas kissed Henry's cheek again and handed him over to his overly excited sister. "Hi," she said once he was in her arms.

"Hi," he hesitantly said. Dean snorted while a few others snickered.

"Nice shirt," Anna commented, unperturbed.

"Thanks," Henry beamed at her.

"Okay, quit hogging him, Anna," Gabriel said, coming to stand next to his sister.

Anna turned her head and said, "I just got him," as Henry reached out for Gabriel. "No fair," she said when Gabriel took him from her. Gabriel, being the mature one that he was, stuck his tongue out at her, and Henry giggled.

Cas came closer to Dean, and Dean wrapped an arm around his waist without taking his eyes off Henry. "Wait for it," Cas whispered to him, and Dean frowned like Balthazar was doing right now. Gabriel reached into the pocket of his sweats, pulled out his hand, and presented it to Henry. "He's only getting one," Cas firmly stated when Henry reached out for the four lollipops on Gabriel's hand. Twin pouts was his answer. "One. And I'm sure Gabriel will happy to point out the watermelon one."

"That one," Gabriel said, sticking his nose out at the second one on the right. Henry quickly snatched up the lollipop.

"What do you say, Henry?" Cas prompted.

"Thank you," Henry loudly stated then turned to Cas and opened his arms.

"Don't you want to go back to Anna?" Cas laughed, and Henry glowered. "I'm coming," Cas said and opened his arms.

"Why do I get the feeling I've been used?" said a bewildered Gabriel, handing over the eager child.

"That's because you were," Cas commiserated. Once settled on Cas's arm, Henry held out the lollipop toward Dean. Dean huffed and removed his arms from around Cas. Dean quickly opened it and handed it back to Henry. Henry stuck the lollipop in his mouth and hummed causing them all to snicker. He then removed it and presented it to Cas, who shook his head and smiled at him.

"Aww," Anna said, looking seconds away from pinching his cheeks. Dean hoped he was wrong. Cas rolled his eyes at his sister then rubbed his nose up and down Henry's cheek. Henry hummed a little louder, and everyone had a sappy smile on their face.

Someone cleared their throat, and Dean tore his eyes away from the two loves of his life. Balthazar held Dean gaze and said, "Dean, can I talk to your for a second." By the way Cas stilled, Dean knew Cas heard it as a command rather than a request.

"Sure," Dean said and swallowed, and Cas closed his mouth. Dean removed his arm, he didn't even realize his arm made its way back to Cas's waist, and followed Balthazar.

When they were a good distance away from the others--Dean could still feel stares on his back--Balthazar finally faced him and stared with evaluating eyes. Cas's family had a problem with staring. (Of course, Cas's stare was more welcomed). "You care about him," Balthazar said after what internal struggle he was having. It wasn't a question but a conclusion, and Dean hackle rose, tinged with insult. Of course, he cared about Cas. He more than showed how much he cared about Cas when he was in the hospital. He was always the first to get Cas whatever he needed. He deserved more than their suspicions. It looked like Cas's plea this morning had caused more change than he realized.

"I do," Dean gritted out, reining in his anger for Cas's sake. Blowing up in front of Cas and his family wasn't going to do anyone any good.

"Sorry," Balthazar sighed, looking genuine about it. "Just surprised."

"Surprised?" Dean said, losing his grip on his anger. "Surprised that I care about him?" His hand were fisted.

"No!" he quickly shouted. He frustratedly ran his fingers through his hair and said, more to himself actually, "He's going to kill me." He lowered his hand and sighed again. "I'm surprised because you're not his usual type." The admission didn't help, and by the panicked look Balthazar had, he knew it, too. Dean's insecurities reared its ugly head. A storm of 'what ifs' assaulted him: What if Cas realized that later on? What if Cas left him later on? What if Cas found someone later on who was what he normally would've dated? What if Cas fell out of love with Dean because Dean was missing what the others had?

Dean's hand were starting to clam up, and his breathing was uneven, since Dean was barely breathing. Balthazar was trying to keep the panic look off his face, but his eyes kept constantly shifting from Dean's face to behind him.

"The fact that you were so different from anyone else he's dated was the reason why I couldn't see before how perfect you are from him," Balthazar strongly said, eyes clouding over with determination.

"Huh?" said Dean. His bewilderment did very little to calm him down.

"I get why he loves you," Balthazar said with conviction. Dean blushed because, from the way Balthazar was looking at him, Cas told them. Dean didn't even tell his family. Sure, he blurted it out, but he didn't willingly said it to their faces. Hell, he didn't even tell them Cas said it back. All they knew was Cas wanted to date him. They could surmise things from the looks Cas gave him, but it was one thing knowing and another having absolute proof.

"And I know you're what he needs," Balthazar carried on. Dean frowned, and Balthazar lightly laughed. "I'm pretty sure you've noticed how Cas is obsessed with taking care of others. It's almost like he can't help but help. The only problem with that is he has a hard time letting others take care of him." Dean knew all about that. Whenever they were invited over, Cas could never sit still, always wanting to do something to help out. "But that's different with you because Cas loves and trusts you. He loves and trusts you enough to be open with you--to rely on you." Dean was stunned, his panic and anger fading to the back of his mind. "You shouldn't be surprised. Cas actually lets you worry about him. If it was anyone else, he would've have spent every waking moment assuring them that he was fine. With you, he doesn't even try that hard." Dean tried to say something but Balthazar raised his hand. "Yes, he complains, but he still lets you fuss over him."

Dean didn't know if he should mention that since Saturdays Cas hadn't put up much of a fight. He allowed Dean to helped him with everything. Saturday afternoon, Cas let Dean dress him without a single complain and let Dean undress him Saturday night. Cas even allowed Dean to help him cut his pancakes this morning when it got too difficult for him. Cas did, however, put up some resistance when getting dressed earlier, but that was due to the fact that there was less dressing involved and more touching. The physical proof, and not Balthazar's words, had Dean relaxing. If all that Balthazar was saying was true, then Cas loved him more than anyone he had even been with. Dean had to hold down the smugness that rose up.

"It also doesn't hurt that you're as stubborn as he is," Balthazar smirked. "You're stubborn enough to challenge him and stop him from closing himself off from the world." Balthazar gave him a sad smiled that Dean returned. Dean had firsthand experience with Cas cutting himself off from people...from him. "You're stubborn enough to not let him suffer." Balthazar held his gaze and quite clearly and intently said, "You love him enough to not want to see him suffer." He held his hand out, which Dean took. "So, thank you," he said.

Dean's hand tightened around his, and he forced out, "You don't--"

"I know I don't have to thank you for that," Balthazar calmly said. "I'm thanking you for taking care of our brother. Thanking you for putting our minds at rest about him being okay here...being happy here. And for giving him a second family. You know how important family is to Cas."

"Us, too," Dean quickly stated.

"Good," Balthazar remarked and gave Dean his first genuine smile. Relief swept through Dean, knowing that Cas's family not only approve but were happy about all of this. They were also trusting Dean with something very important to them. Dean had seen how doted on Cas to know how immensely true that was. And Dean was starting to feel good about himself. He wasn't as messed up or cursed as he had thought. "You might want to let go now. Cas is giving us the stink eye."

Dean instantly released his hand and whirled around to see that, indeed, Cas was giving them the stink eyes. Cas raised an eyebrow, and Dean smiled at him. Cas relaxed, and Dean winked at him, causing him to duck his head as Balthazar started laughing. Dean faced Balthazar again.

"Welcome to the family," he grinned.

"Thanks," Dean grinned back.

Balthazar's smile then turned sheepish. "Sorry about doubting you earlier and scaring you." Dean wanted to comment saying that the wasn't, but Balthazar continued on. "Even if I didn't trust you, I should've trusted Cas. He's a smart kid. If he loves you, then he must have a pretty damn good reason." And Dean was starting to see that there must be some good in him if Cas was willing to put up with him. "What?" Balthazar said after a few second of them staring at each other.

"That's is?" Dean hazardously asked, and Balthazar laughed at him.

"Cas has a black-belt in judo," he said when he calmed down. "Hurt him, and he'll hurt you."

"Really?"

Balthazar nodded then shrugged. "Our baby brother's gay, Dean. We weren't about to let him go out into a world filled with arrogant assholes without him knowing how to defend himself. So, yeah, judo." In that moment, Balthazar won Dean's respect. Dean knew what it felt like wanting to know his family members were safe when he wasn't around, which was why every woman in his family knew some form of self-defense. "We should head back before Cas blows a fuse."

Dean smirked before nodding. The entire walk back, Cas was eyeing his brother and Dean suspiciously. There was some fear in those dark-blues eyes that Dean had come to love. As if Balthazar could scare Dean off now that he knew deeply Cas cared about about him. Dean grinned widely at him, and Cas's shoulders relaxed.

"Why is Henry on the ground?" Dean asked before Cas could say anything, eyeing his son, who had one hold on Cas's pants and another on his lollipop.

"Arm got tired," Cas answered, "and Henry didn't want to go to anyone else."

"Ah," Dean said and opened his arms to see if Henry would let him pick him up. To everyone's surprise, Henry allowed Dean pick him up. The second Henry was on Dean's arm, he twisted his body and grabbed Cas's shirt sleeve, causing Dean to turn him.

Cas chuckled, slowly shaking his head. "I'm not going anywhere, Henry," Cas promised, gaining small, surprised gasps from everyone. Henry frowned, causing Cas to move closer. "I promise," Cas said then pretended to bite Henry's cheek. Henry squealed with laughter and pushed himself closer to Dean.

"Okay," Henry laughed, and Cas ceased his attack to grin at him.

"Good," Cas declared and surged forward to kiss his cheek, only to have Henry return the gesture.

"Aww," a chorus of voices cooed. And the twin blushes greatly charmed Dean.

"Ah," Anna perked up. "Before I forget," she continued, snatching the purse from her husband and reaching in. She pulled out a medium sized bottle filled with a green liquid and a plethora of tiny bubbles.

"Aloe vera?" asked Dean's confused mother.

"Yeah," Anna said, and Cas sighed and took the offered bottle.

"Why do you need it?" the blonde asked, missing the excessively amused looks Cas's family wore.

"It's summer time," Cas quickly explained while the smiles grew wider, and Dean's mom grew more confused. "Lots of rashes and sunburn, and aloe vera is good for treating them."

"Oh," his mom said, not at all convinced. It was a logical answer, but not one that would have Cas's family so close to burst out laughing.

"Yeah," Gabriel grinned, "and it's a good thing Anna got you some because--" he stopped to make a circular pattern with his index finger at Cas's face, "--your neck's a little red." Kali smacked his chest, and he started snickering. The rest stifled their amusement. One look confirmed to Dean that Cas's neck was, indeed, a little red.

"It could the chain," his mom suggested. Anna shook her head while Cas was focused intently on Henry, who ignored them all to focus happily on his lollipop.

"Doubt it, considering Cas had that chain for a few years now. Besides, it's not _prickly_ enough to cause any form of irritation," she smirked. The three older Winchesters took on bewildered expressions. The youngest of the three was left to wonder what could Cas had possibly come into contact with to cause irritation to his neck. It couldn't be shirt. It could be Dean's sheets, but Cas's neck was fine when he woke. The only other thing that came in contact with Cas's neck was...

"Oh," Dean quietly said, and to his surprise, Balthazar was the first to howl with laughter. Cas ducked his head, and his cheeks colored.

"Oh," his mom said, and Cas buried his face into the side of Henry's face. Henry pressed his face closer to Cas, offering comfort...or just liked Cas being close to him. It was the latter for sure.

"I don't get what's so funny," his dad announced, slightly irritated.

"Of course, you wouldn't," his mom replied, rolling her eyes. "It's not something _you_ have to deal with."

"TMI, mom. TMI," Dean frowned, looking slightly queasy.

"What don't I have to deal with?" he asked, ignoring Dean and chuckling around him. His mom stood on her toes and whispered in his ear. "Oh," he slowly said then bit his lip to stop from laughing. "Poor, Cas." Cas miserably groaned, and Dean's dad lost his battle and howled with laughter along with the rest of them.

"Oh, come on, bluebird," Gabriel fondly said. "Chin up." Dean lost his battle and bellowed a loud, ringing laugh. Dean rubbed his thumb up and down Cas's side to comfort, and possibly stop Cas from turning Gabriel into a pile of ash with his glare. Cas embraced Dean's source of comfort, and Gabriel winked at him.

Cas rolled his eyes before locking eyes with Dean. A thick black eyebrow rose above the other. "So...what were you and Balthazar talking about?" Dean snorted, wishing he could reach over and kiss Cas. Blushing and bashful Cas was endearing.

"Judo," Dean smirked, letting Cas change subjects, "been thinking about learning. You wouldn't happen to know someone who's willing to teach me, do you?"

"I hate you," Cas said, causing Dean to throw his head back and laugh, before turning to glare at his brother.

Dean snaked his arm around Cas's middle and moved closer to him. "Stop worrying," Dean said and grinned when Cas glared at him. "Your brother was just welcoming me to the family."

"You sure?" Cas frowned.

"Yeah," Dean assured him, squeezing his middle, but Cas was still unsure.

"See?" Balthazar stressed. "Stubborn." Two heads faced him, one with a glare and one with a smirk. "Bluebird, everything's fine." Balthazar's face softened and shone brightly. Dean physically felt Cas sagged against. Dean squeezed Cas, feeling his own tense shoulders gave way to relief. Dean couldn't have his angel thinking he changed his mind because of Balthazar. Henry wasn't the only one willing to hold onto Cas. Balthazar smiled, seeming to get Dean's train of thought.

Looked like their most skeptical family member just became their biggest supporter.

~~~✴~~~

Dean took one step into _Winchester & Singer Auto Body Shop_ and took one step back.

"Dean!" The red-head in the light-blue jeans and a white t-shirt with a sleeping panda on it excitedly shouted. It wasn't too late for him to turn around and run to his car or too late to drive home to his affectionate three-year-old and his extremely kissable blue-eyed angel. Dean walked into the room and closed the door behind him. She would run after him.

"Hey, Charlie," Dean said, "...and everybody else." Ash was sitting on the table while Bobby, his dad, Benny, and Charlie were standing in front of the front desk. The guys were already dressed in their black overalls. "I still can't believe we actually get anything done around here," Dean amusedly mused.

Charlie rolled her eyes and walked passed the others to stand in front of Dean. "You seem happy," she flippantly commented, the side of her mouth twitching. Why couldn't she just smile? He knew she wanted to.

"Do I?" he teased. She finally smiled, wide and bright, before hitting his chest.

"Yes, you dork," she exasperatedly said, ignoring his indignation.

Dean was happy, more than actually. He woke up this morning to find Cas safely tucked in his arms, their faces mere inches apart. For the second time, he got lucky enough to see Cas waking up. He was lucky enough to learn that Cas wasn't a morning person. It took Cas countless yawns and blinks for him to become remotely aware of his surroundings let alone gain enough strength to control his limbs. Once out of bed, Dean was happy to crowd him up against the bathroom sink, kissing any exposed flesh while Cas brushed his teeth. Dean had also kissed him from the bathroom all the way to the kitchen--and only being forced to leave him to get his bundle of joy ready. It was like they were teenagers who just discovered what kissing was and dedicated all their free time to perfecting it. Dean's happiness peaked when he got to kiss Henry and Cas goodbye. After weeks of fantasizing about, he finally got to do it, and it was everything he wanted and then some.

"Stop smiling like that. It's creeping me out," Charlie said, pulling him back to a room filled with small laughs. There was no heat to her words, and her eyes were shining far too brightly for it to just be the lighting.

"Charlie," Dean softly said.

Dean's tone had his father clearing his throat. "We should get to work," he said. "Busy day. Plus, we got plenty of time to tease Dean about Cas." He smiled once at Dean and left the room, the others trailing after him.

"I promise I'm not going to cry every time you and Cas come up," she seriously said, voice thick. "It's just, you know." Dean did know. He cupped her face with both of his hand and wiped away the tears that managed to escape. "I was really starting to believe that you were going be alone. The first person you fall in love with in, what, over two years could never fall in love with you. It got worse when we actually started liking Cas. Because gods knows I couldn't stand Jennifer, and Cassie didn't even try to get to know us. And Lisa was a spineless wimp who heard one word from her friends and dumped you then went and got herself knocked up by some guy who just left her."

"Char--"

"Let me finish," she interrupted. The tears had stopped. "We started liking him and then had to watch you fall more in love with him--and it hurt. A lot. When we were at the hospital, and you said you loved him, I was really happy that you finally admitted it and no longer had to keep it to yourself. But it made the hurt worse becuase it made it more real." She gave him a wan smile. "You had more people to share the burden with, but you didn't have Cas. And this was way worse that Lisa, and Jennifer, and Cassie."

Dean felt a sharp stab to his heart. It was stupid to think that it only affected him. He removed his hand from her cheeks then wrapped his arms around her shoulder and pulled her close.

Charlie laughed into his chest and continued. "It was worse because you could never tell him how you feel--you would never get the chance show him how great you are. But you did." Charlie pushed back, so she was looking him straight in the eyes. Everything about her face was set in determination. She cupped his face between her hand now. "You have a chance here, Dean--a real chance to be happy. And you're not going to ruin anything. You know why? Because you're not broken--you're not posion. You're a good man, Dean, and an even better father. We all love you and Cas will love you, too. And... and why are you smiling like that?" Determination quickly melted away to bemusement.

"I do have a chance here," Dean agreed, leaning into her touch, smile still on his face. "And I'm not going to mess this up. And I am broken, Charlie. Don't argue with me," he sternly said, and she snapped her mouth shut. "I'm broken, but I'm starting to see that I'm not poison. I did everything I could to get them to stay, but they didn't. And I'm going to stop beating myself up because of that. I'm actually going to let myself heal for once." Dean smirked at her and said, "And I doesn't hurt that I have someone who loves me as much as I love him."

Charlie stood stunned. Mouth opened, but no words were coming out. He wanted to believe that she was more stunned by him not beating himself up, but he knew she wasn't. He couldn't really blame her because Cas loved him. Cas meant it the first time he said it and every time since then. And Cas was different than the other three. Cas was invested in this--them. Not just anyone would spend half and hour with a three-year-old trying to get him to pick something to wear. Not anyone could come home, after seeing his family off, and help Dean sort out his closet to make room for him when he could have easily gone with them. Not anyone could know about Dean's past--he was sure Cas had heard from someone or figured it out--and still want to share his life with him. Yeah, Cas was different.

"He said....?" she trailed off, not able to get the words out.

"Yep," Dean chirped. "A few times, actually."

And she was back to to hugging him. Her arms squeezing his chest, impeding his breathing. "I'm so happy for you," Charlie mumbled.

"Thanks, Charlie," he rasped.

The crushing feeling in his chest was gone in an instant. "Sorry," she muttered, stepping away from him.

"It's fine," Dean grinned at her. "You okay, now?" Dean asked searching her face for anything she might be hiding.

"I am peachy," she grinned back. "You're finally one of us!" she cheered. Dean simply raised an eyebrow. "You finally have someone of you own, and you no longer have to look at the rest of us and feel alone anymore."

"I was never alone, Charlie," he refuted with an eye roll. "I had Henry." Why did they always forget that tidbit?

"You know what I mean," she huffed, annoyed. "Henry can't call you out on your shit."

"You underestimate my son," Dean smoothly replied.

Charlie paused then said, "True. But Henry can't stay up late to watch old country movies with you, now can he?"

"I have you guys," Dean countered.

"Only because you force us to," she stated, lips pursed to the side.

Dean snorted. "Cas doesn't seem like the type to watch old country movies."

"You never know," Charlie shrugged.

"You really are feeling better all right," Dean huffed, pretending to be irritated.

"Why wouldn't I be?" she happily singsonged. "You love your boyfriend, and he loves you. I get someone to talk queer politics with. Plus, he practically knows every myth and folklore imaginable. I have jumped five levels in Dark Ages since he got here."

"You're using my boyfriend?!" Dean indignantly shouted, ignoring how odd the last word felt on his tongue.

"I wouldn't consider it using him," she cautiously stated in the face of Dean's rising eyebrow. "He's family, and there is no harm in seeking help from a family member. Right?" she finished, putting too much force into her smile.

Dean rolled his eyes, his body succumbing to the warm that surged through him. Cas was family. He had been family for a while now. And Dean should have really listened to his son when he said Cas was meant to be in their family. Dean was finally able to see in Cas what Henry had seen since the first day--a sense of rightness. Cas had been right where he needed to be. It was only that the two of them were fighting it. They were not only through with the awkwardness but with the fighting as well. They were going to do what was right for them--and they were going to do it together.

"Does he even know he's helping you cheat?" Dean asked.

"I'm not cheating!" Charlie refuted before pushing her bangs to the side.

"Still didn't my question," Dean shrugged. The red-head mumbled incoherently. "What was that?"

"He doesn't know, all right!" she shouted only to glare when he burst out laughing. "He still thinks I call him because I'm interested in myths and stuff-which I am, but..."

"Charlie!" shouted an affronted Dean.

"I know," Charlie sighed, "but Ash was getting ahead of me, and I needed help and fast. And, well, Cas was willing to help." She smiled sheepishly at him, and Dean rolled his eyes at her.

"You're going to have to tell him," Dean said.

"Or...we could pretend this never happened," she said with a force smile, showing too much teeth. Dean merely glowered. "Fine," she huffed, "but if I lose to Ash, I totally blaming you."

Dean rolled his eyes and said, "I'll live."

Charlie glared at him. "Don't you have work to get to."

"Don't you?"

"I hate you." Dean smirked before rushing forward to kiss her cheek. "Uhh," Charlie said pushing his back, glowering at his smirk. "Go slobber over your boyfriend," she continued and pushed him in the direction of the door leading to the workshop, Dean laughing the entire way.

Before he walked through the door, he turned around and asked, "Do you and Gilda have plans for tomorrow night?"

"Don't think so," she frowned, "why?"

"I kinda need babysitters," Dean grinned and watched as a smile slowly overtook her face. The fondness he felt growing inside him quickly receded back when she started smirking. Maybe he should have asked someone else?

~~~✴~~~

Cas was walking down the stairs, pulling at the shoulder of the red t-shirt he was wearing to fix the collar, when the front door opened. Charlie and Gilda walked through. Charlie had on dark-blue jeans and a bright red t-shirt, much like his except hers had the outline of fairy in white while his had small rows of black outlined squares that were in a diagonal pattern. Gilda had on black jeans like him, she had on a black shirt with swirls made of tiny white rhinestones. Both of their hairs were in ponytails. He wanted to comb his hair for his date--he was still giddy about this--but decided against it. Besides, Dean really seemed to like it.

"Hello," Cas said when he got to the last step.

"Hi," they both said at the same time. Gilda gave Charlie a fond smile. Charlie gave him a once-over. Cas tried not to squirm under her imploring eyes and tempered the panic making its way up his chest to his throat. Outside of Dean's close family--his mom, dad, Sam, and Henry--Charlie was the one Dean loved above the rest. Her opinion of him mattered a great deal.

"Where's Dean?" she asked, grinning at him.

Cas released the breath he was subconsciously holding. He held onto the handrail when he felt like his legs would give out. He smiled, his heart rate slowly coming back down. "He's in the kitchen trying to explain to Henry why he can't come with us," he answered.

"Aww," Gilda said, and Cas chuckled.

"Come on," Cas instructed, "let's see if he made any progress." Cas turned and walked in the direction of the kitchen with the two snickering women following him.

When Cas got to the kitchen, Henry was standing on the island wearing only his black briefs and a light-green vest that was black around the neck and arms, glaring at his father. Dean stood a feet in front of Henry, wearing dark-blue jeans and a black, white, and red, short sleeved plaid shirt with a black undershirt. Dean wasn't sure which one of his glaring Winchester he wanted to kiss more.

Dean turned to face him, Henry's white shorts in hand. "You guys are early," Dean said as Cas walked up to him, smiling at the grabby hands Henry was making.

"We got bored at home," Cas heard Charlie said. His attention was focused on the angry little boy in front of him.

"How come you're not wearing pants?" Cas asked, trying not to smile at Henry's growing frustration. Henry was just as needy as his father. Said father was currently moving closer to Cas. Henry didn't answer him. Henry walked up to him and grabbed a fist full of his shirt. Cas felt a rush of affection overcome him. He would love to take Henry with them, but this was his first date with Dean, and there would be plenty of other time for them to all go out together.

"You don't have to wear pants if you don't want to," Dean said over Cas's shoulder, having migrated from beside him to halfway behind him. Henry narrowed his eyes at Dean and thinned his lips. Dean huffed, sending warm across Cas's ear. Cas shivered slightly.

"Cas," Henry said in a soft pleading tone. Cas was sure they heard his heart crack.

"It's just for tonight, Henry," Cas said and tried to comfort him by covering his clenched fist with his hand.

"Why?" he said in a sullen tone. Cas's heart cracked a little more.

"It's just something grownups do," Cas replied. "They go out to eat and talk about grownups thing. It's really boring."

"I won't get bored. Promise." Henry stared at Cas, eyes begging him to take him with them.

Cas removed his hand and cupped Henry's cheek, rubbing his thumb across it. "If we all go, then who's going to stay with Aunty Charlie and Aunty Gilda?"

"They can come with us," Henry answered.

"But they came to see you, not us." Henry frowned. "They came to play with you. You don't want to make them sad, do you?" The grip on his shirt loosened. "I'll tell you what," Cas said, removing his hand and using it to push Henry's hair to the side. "You stay with Aunty Charlie and Aunty Gilda tonight, and your dad and I will take you out tomorrow night. Just the three of us. We'll go anywhere you want, okay?"

"Really?" his little prince softly asked.

"Yeah," Dean answered, using a hooked index finger to caress Henry's cheek. "What do ya say?"

"Okay," Henry answered, smiling weakly up at them.

"Are you going to wear your pants now?" Cas asked.

"Cas," Henry whined, and Cas kissed his cheeks while the others laughed behind him. The one laugh that really affected him was Dean's. It was the loudest one. It wasn't as forced as it used to be whenever Dean was around his family, and it was even less forced that the one Cas was used to hearing when Dean and him were the only ones around. A lot of things about Dean were less forced now. Cas was better at noticing them since many of the same things were less forced for him, too. For one, neither had to keep any distance between each other. They were allowed to invade the other's personal space--something Dean did more than Cas. They were no longer forced watch their movements around each other. If their hands brushed against each other, nothing was stopping the other from reaching out and taking the other's hand.

The more noticeable change was Dean didn't need to force himself to be happy. Dean was genuinely happy. Cas saw it during his birthday party. At all the family gatherings Cas had been a part of, Dean always had forlorn look on his face. It was even worse when Dean would look at his family interacting with him son, especially if it happened to be a couple. Cas knew when Dean saw that he was imagining what he wanted for his son--what he was imagining for himself. But he could never have that. Saturday was the first time Cas didn't see that look on Dean's face. Saturday Dean laughed and smiled with abandon. Dean was able to watch his family with contentment on his face rather than longing. He was able to interact with his family, and Cas's family, without worrying about his son or worry about being alone for the rest of his life. Dean had him now, and he was going to make sure Dean stayed this happy for as long as he was allowed to.

"I'll help you put them on," Charlie said, walking up to them and standing next to Henry. "Your dad and Cas need to get going."

Henry nodded his head at her then faced Cas again. He opened her arms, and Cas chuckled. Cas looped his one good arm around Henry and squeezed him tight. "Bye, Henry," Cas whispered. "Be good for Aunty Charlie and Aunty Gilda." Cas felt Henry nod into his shoulder. Cas released him and kissed his forehead before stepping back.

Dean picked Henry up and held him close. "We'll see you later, buddy."

"Okay," Henry said.

Dean handed him over to Charlie and said, "Thanks for watching him."

"No problem," Charlie said with a small smile on her face. "Have fun on your date." Cas felt his cheeks heat up.

Dean snorted. "Thanks." His hand found its way to the small of Cas's back. "Come on."

"Bye, Henry," Cas said with a little wave.

"Bye," Henry glumly said.

"Bud," Dean tiredly said. "We'll be back before you know you it." Henry nodded his head, not looking all too convinced. "Bye, bud."

"Bye, Daddy."

Dean lead Cas out of the kitchen and to the front door. Once outside, Cas said, "We'll buy him some poptarts on the way home." Dean threw his head back and laughed and continued to do so as the made it to the car.

~~~✴~~~

" _Milton's_?" his blue-eyed angel inquired as he pulled up to the diner.

"Yeah," Dean said as he pulled into a parking spot. "You were complaining not too long ago about missing your chance to try my dad's burgers, so I decided to take you to the place with the third best burgers in town."

"Third?" Cas questioned with a raised eyebrow. Dean truly believed he would never get how dark of blue Cas's eyes could be. Dean hoped he would get the chance to never get used to them.

"Yep," Dean said and got out the Car. He jogged around to Cas's side and opened the door for him. Dean ignored the eyes roll and focused more on the soft, fond smile on Cas's lips. "Third best, right under Ellen and mines," Dean continued as he helped Cas out of the car.

Cas snorted. "I would ask why we didn't go to Ellen's, but I can guess why. And I can also guess why you didn't cook.

"Yeah," Dean simply said as they walked hand in hand to the diner. Dean opened the door for Cas, and enjoyed the warmth that overtook his body when Cas blushed. Cas's blush was steadily becoming Dean's second favorite thing about Cas, right under seeing Cas in his underwear. It actually didn't take that much to convince Cas to sleep in his boxers and to stay in them until Dean left for work. However, Cas did insist on wearing a shirt once out of bed. It was a reasonable request. Afterall Dean...and Henry couldn't have Cas fully dressed when the two of them were partly dressed.

Dean lead Cas to the back table. The same table Henry and Dean found Cas at all those weeks ago. Dean pulled out Cas's chair. Dean knew Cas wasn't some girl, but there wasn't any rule that said he couldn't pull Cas's chair out. Plus, Cas didn't say anything about it. Once Cas was seated, Dean took his own seat.

"Hi, Dean."

"Hey, Annie," Dean smiled to the plump, brunette waitress with streaks of gary in her hair, who was wearing a black apron with _Milton_ written in light-blue cursive.

Annabeth Milton was the co-owner of _Milton's_. She was around his dad's age. She was one of the very few people that actually had faith in Dean when he was left to raise Henry on his own. She once was a single parent of her own until she met Bradley Milton, the true owner of _Milton's_. Her previous husband, Davis, had left her to raise one-year-old Connor on her own. Connor now lived in Florida with his Wife, Delilah. Annie was the first person outside his family to offer him congratulations after Henry was born instead of pity stares, and encouraged him to keep his head high because his son needed him not to listen to all those around him. Besides the food, Annie was the other reason why he had always come to _Milton's_.

"Hi, Cas," Annie sweetly said while Dean felt his eyebrows slowly rose up. As far as Dean knew, Cas had never come to _Milton's_ with him or at all.

"Hello, Annie," Cas responded with just as much sweetness to his voice. Dean's confusion was steadily building.

"What happened to you arm?" she asked with worried eyes. And Dean winched. The memory was still fresh in his mind.

Cas sighed before answering. "I got hit by a car." Annie made a smal gasp. "I'm fine. I wasn't anything serious."

She stared unconvincingly at his green cast. "Okay," she said then looked at him intently again. "You look different," she added with one hand on her hips. Cas frowned, and Dean couldn't help but think how Cas was more relaxed that before. He still had extremely good posture, but it didn't seem as if he had to huddle into one corner like their first time here. "Oh, that's it," she suddenly announced. "You don't seem to have a three-year-old hanging off of you."

Dean chuckled while Cas fondly rolled his eyes at her. Dean's confusion was pushed to the back of his mind. "He's at home," Cas told her. "He's also really disappointed he couldn't come with us."

"Connor used to be the same when Brad and I used to go out," Annie told them then winked at Cas. Cas blushed, and Dean's confusion was back tenfold. "But that is a story for another day. Now, what can I get you?"

"Burger, please. All the works and an order of fries," Cas said. "Apparently, you make a mean burger."

"The third best in Lawrence actually," Annie smiled, and Cas started laughing. Dean glared at the town of them, but they weren't looking at him. A part of him was happy to see Cas getting along with the people he liked and respected. "Anything to drink, dear?"

"Ginger ale," Cas answered, still smiling.

"Dean?" Annie asked.

"The same, expect a beer for me," Dean answered. Annie nodded her head and when to the kitchen. Dean raised an eyebrow at Cas.

"We met a few times while out grocery shopping," Cas replied to his unspoken question. "Henry introduced us the first time." Of course, Henry would introduce Cas to her. Why wouldn't he want to introduce his new favorite person to the woman that stuffed his full of pancakes when his nana couldn't make him any?

"Ah," Dean said then frowned. "Why did she wink at you?"

Cas blushed but answered. "I accidentally mentioned one time how attractive you were."

Really?" Dean smirked. "What did you say?"

Cas glared at him, and nothing stopped Dean from covering Cas hand with his own. "I believe Anna already told you that."

"Remind me anyways." Cas glared at him again, and Dean relaxed more into his chair, stretching out his legs. His foot brushed against Cas's foot, and they both recoiled.

"Sorry," they both said.

"Don't be," Cas told him. "You just surprised me."

Dean swallowed then nodded his head. Dean wanted to keep his foot to himself, but a part of him was telling him he was being ridiculous. Cas had never shied away from him before. Cas really was just surprised. Hell, Cas had felt more than his foot these couple of days. Dean tentatively extended one leg out, hampering the part of his brain that said he was going to mess this up. The part that reminded him of Cas and his promise to not make this awkward helped him push his leg the final stretch. Panic struck him when Cas stilled, but it was short lived when Cas relaxed and let Dean pull his foot with his. He pulled their foot to the middle and ran his foot up and down Cas's foot. He would rather them not be wearing footwear, but he would just have to deal. Cas quickly copied him and shot Dean a smile. There was nothing to worry about.

"Oh," Cas suddenly said, "I forgot to ask Charlie, but how is she doing in _Dark Ages_?"

Dean had to hold down the impulse to tell Cas everything about Charlie using him. "She's doing good," he said instead.

"She hasn't called in a few days, that's why I'm asking," Cas added.

"You know?" Dean blurted out.

Cas snorted. "She's not exactly subtle. 'If a lamia was to appear today, how would someone kill it?' isn't exactly Morse code," Cas amusedly stated.

"How long?" Dean asked.

"Since the beginning," Cas said, grinning. "I would've appreciated it if she had just asked. Ash did."

"What?"

"You didn't know?" Cas asked, brows furrowed. Dean emphatically shook his head. "That's okay. They don't know that I'm helping the other either. Sam and I have bets on how long it will take for them to figure it out."

"Sam?" Dean choked out.

"Yeah," Cas said, "he got addicted to it, too. He's actually a couple of levels higher than the two of them." Cas narrowed his eyes. "They don't know that either, and we would like it to stay that way...Why are you smiling?"

"Nothing," Dean said. He honestly could say when he started smiling. It could have been when he learned Sam got addicted to the very game he swore against. Or it could have been when he found out Cas was helping his brother. Cas was getting along with Sammy. Cas and Sammy were conspiring against two other family members. Dean knew that Cas and Sam would get along, both being too smart for their own good, but they had never talked much with the other. It was freeing to know that they were talking, and by the looks of it, they really liked the other. "Your secret's safe with me," Dean laughed.

It wasn't long before Annie returned with their orders. She placed everything down and left, but not before winking at Cas. Dean picked up a fry, but it stopped inches away from his mouth. The angel in front of him had a bottle of hot sauce in hand and was essentially emptying the entire content onto his fries. Cas finally put the bottle down, much of it was gone, and picked up a fry. Like Dean, his fry didn't make it into his mouth.

"Dean?" Cas called, and Dean eyes flickered down to Cas's plate. Cas followed his line of sight and flushed. "When I was in college, I used to visit Balthazar and Gabriel in New York all the time. They used to take me to a lot of Asian restaurants, and I sort of developed a likeness for spicy foods," Cas shyly explained, twirling the fry in his hand.

"You used to go to school near New York?" Dean asked and finally took a bite of his fries.

"Massachusetts," Cas answered, fry still in hand. Dean inched his foot a little higher and got a smile from Cas.

"What college?" Dean asked and eat another fry.

"Harvard," Cas said and finally ate his fry while Dean choked on his. "Dean..." Dean waved off his concern and took a gulp of his beer.

"I'm sorry. You went where?" Dean was sure he heard wrong. And there still was something stuck in his throat.

Cas sighed. "There are very few schools that offer an undergraduate degree in mythology and folklore, and Harvard was the only one on the East Coast." Dean took another gulp of his beer, bigger this time. "Dean." Dean had no idea why his heart was beating faster. Okay, he knew. He knew Cas was smart, but he never knew Cas went to Harvard. With a degree from there, Cas could very well get a better job somewhere else. He didn't have to be here with some mechanic and his son. "Would you stop," Cas stonily said. "I'm exactly where I want to be." Cas's face was firmly set, and his cheeks were red. Dean didn't know if it was from frustration or plain anger. "There were other jobs offers, Dean. One of them from New York. I chose this one because I don't like big cities, and Kansas is close to the home I grew up in and close to two of brothers. I don't regret my decision. And I don't regret staying here with you and Henry. I will never regret that." Cas reached over and covered Dean's hand with his. Cas squeezed his hand, and he felt his heart rate slow down and panic receding to the back of his mind.

"Okay," Dean said in a thick voice. "Is there anything else you want to tell me?"

"I have three degrees."

"Cas!" Dean lowly hissed.

"When I was an undergrad, I double majored in mythology and computer science," Cas explained, picking up his cup and drowning half of it.

"Computer science?" It was the same thing Ash was majoring in before he got kicked out of MIT.

"This one semester, I needed another class and decided to try the Intro to Computer Science class," Cas told him. "I ended up loving the class. But I didn't want to have to choose between the two, so it did both. When I went back to school, I realized I solely wanted to study mythology, so I went for my doctorate in mythology and got a masters in religious studies to better increase my chances of getting a job afterwards." Dean knew he should say something instead of staring opened mouth at Cas.

"You could've gotten a job with your computer science," Dean finally said and winched. Cas only moments ago stated he chose myths over computers.

"How do you think I survived grad school?" Cas laughed.

Dean felt his lips twitched. "Wow," he finally said. "Three degrees. How come you never said anything before?"

"I teach folklores and myths," Cas shrugged. "There really is no point in mentioning the other."

Dean ardently shook his head. "You should," Dean fervently stated.

"Okay," Cas relented. "If it ever comes up, I tell them." Dean went back to eating, but Cas didn't. He simply stared at Dean while Dean tried not to fidget. "I really thought I convinced you that I wasn't going anywhere."

"Cas--"

"I really meant it, Dean," Cas interrupted him. "I don't plan on just leaving you unless you want me to. I love you, Dean. I love Henry, and I love your family. I'm happy, extremely so, where I am right now. You make me happy. And I really want you to see that."

Cas pulled his hand back, but Dean quickly twisted his hand around and caught Cas. "I love you, too. I love that you love Henry. I love that you love my family. It's--"

"I know," Cas interjected.

"I know you know," Dean said, "and I love that you love me in spite of it. But that's not what I was going to say. I was going to say that it's hard to just forget all of that happened. So, I'm not going to forget." Cas's hand tensed in his. "But I'm not going to let it control me anymore. If you say you love me and want to stay with me, then I believe you, and I'm not going to doubt you...and you make me happy, too, Cas, and I don't ever want to let you go."

Cas squeezed Dean hand, and Dean's broken self got a little less broken.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fourth of July next chapter. Hopefully, I finish before then. 
> 
> Cas's sandal: http://i00.i.aliimg.com/wsphoto/v0/793588940/Leather-gladiator-sandals-male-casual-shoes-Men-sandals.jpg


	11. Variable: Liberation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A happy announcement and Forth of July.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys had a fun Fourth of July (those who celebrate it). For those who don't, hope your summer (or winter if you're in the lower hemisphere) is going well. 
> 
> My summer has been going well so far. I love all the free time I get to read and write. 
> 
> And the weekend before, I went to my first Pride parade! And I got to march with the LGBT+ club from my school! It's supper fun...and tiring, especially the wait for when we would actually start marching, but fun nonetheless.

 

"No, Cas," Dean grumbled, eyes still closed, trying to pull Cas's body back against his. Said man was trying to extract himself from the vice grip Dean had around his waist.

"Dean," came the exasperated response, "It's already after eight-thirty, and we need to get up, make breakfast, and get ready to go to the hospital."

That was right. Today was the day Cas would finally get his cast removed. After two weeks, Cas was finally getting that damn contraption removed. Sure Cas had went back for a smaller cast when he had healed some, but after today Dean would never have to worry about hurting Cas when they were sleeping, when they were kissing. He wouldn't have to worry about Cas's cast getting in the way when he was hugging him from behind. After today, Dean would finally get to see Cas in all his glory. No more did he have to wonder just what was under the boxer-briefs Cas wore. No more did he have to rely on his imagination to paint a picture of what said boxer-briefs were outlining.

"It's nice to know at least one part of you is awake," the angel in his arms baited. Dean's face heated up, and he pressed closer to show him just how awake he was.

"Cas," Dean shamelessly whined as his angel moved away from him.

"Stop trying to make yourself more comfortable," Cas said, sounding a tad bit annoyed. Dean paid his tone little notice. He was more focused on how, to Cas, making himself comfortable was pressing every part of his body into Cas. It could possibly be considered comfortable after having woken up one morning plastered against Cas's back with his morning wood nestled between Cas's buttcheeks. Dean was wide awake then and so was Cas. Neither said anything, simply accepted it and enjoyed the closeness until it was time to get up. Dean would like a repeat, but Cas wouldn't stay still.

"Cas!" Henry hollered from down the hall.

"Yes, Henry?" Cas called out, taking another crack at removing Dean's arms.

"I finished brushing my teeth!" Henry yelled back, pride evident in voice.

"Okay, I'll be right there to get your bath ready!" Cas shouted then added, "What do you want for breakfast?!" Dean could really get used to his son and Cas's voices filling his house, despite the ringing in his ears. But right now, he would much rather get used to the feel of his thumb against Cas's thigh.

"Oatmeal!" Henry yelled after a beat of silence.

"What kind?!" Cas asked.

Another beat of silence followed. Dean could visualize the frown he wore when trying to decide what he wanted and how tiny his mouth got. "Apple!" their little prince answered. In Dean's mind, Henry was theirs. Part of Dean knew Cas held the same viewpoint, but it was too early to dwell upon the implications of that. There would be plenty of time for that later. Cas assured Dean of that.

"Of course, he does," Cas whispered to Dean, and Dean gave a booming laugh. And it was all Cas needed to remove Dean's hand and roll off the bed and onto his feet.

Dean finally opened his eyes to see him walking in the direction of their bathroom. "Cas," Dean whined again, and Cas ignored him. Dean groaned before turning on his back. He used both of his elbows to push himself up until his back was pressed to the headboard. He was finished in time to see Cas leave the bathroom with his toothpaste and his blue and white toothbrush.

"You're up," he smirked, and Dean sent him a small glare. "Good," Cas continued while Dean restrained from rolling his eyes. "You take a shower while I get breakfast ready. And I need you to get something for Henry to wear."

"Okay," Dean simply said and swung his legs off their bed. He pushed himself off the bed and smirked when he heard Cas heading for the door. Before Cas could get to the door, Dean blocked him.

"Dean," Cas warned, the hand with his toothbrush and toothpaste on his hip.

"What?" Dean innocently asked and got a raised eyebrow. "I'm going to get Henry's clothes like you asked." Cas tiredly huffed.

Dean reached out and grabbed the hand on Cas's hip and pulled Cas toward him. Ignoring Cas's surprised squeak, Dean wrapped his arms around Cas's hips and cupped the back of his head. He took advantage of Cas already opened mouth and stuck his tongue in. Cas let him Dean's tongue explore at its leisure while his tongue brushed up against Dean's. Dean sucked hard on his bottom lip. And faster than expected, the need to breathe hit Dean. He pulled with Cas's lip between his teeth.

"Dean," Cas rasped, still sounding put out by his actions, with cheeks a deep red and pupils blown wide. Dean released his lips and surged forward, but Cas, sensing what Dean was going to do, tilted his head back. Dean was more than okay with that. Dean bured his face in the offered neck and lightly sucked, kissed, and nipped. "Dean," he exhaustingly sighed but let Dean do as he pleased, his occupied hand digging into Dean's hip.

This was one of the other things he loved about Cas. Cas got Dean's need to constantly touch. In the two weeks since Cas and he had come to an understanding about their relationship, Cas had become acclimated to his need for physical contact. Sure, Cas would complain when he was distracting him from cooking or whatever housework he was doing, but Cas never pushed him away. To Dean, it looked almost like Cas only complained to show Dean that he could, or so he could simply bait Dean. With Lisa, he could count the amount of times she said he was smothering her. The only time he could be overly tactile with her was after they had sex, and that was mainly due to the fact that she loved being held when she was asleep. With Jennifer, she allowed him to tactile whenever he bought her something. He should have seen through that right away. With Cassie, they only ever had sex. He didn't have much time to really focus on her since he had a one year old at home who demanded most of his attention.

With Cas, everything was different. Cas welcomed every touch like he was cataloging how each and every one felt on his skin. Dean wouldn't put that past Cas. Cas knew exactly where to scratch Henry on his head to reduce him to a puddle of goo. Cas knew their favorite foods and a list of foods they would like without them telling him anything. All that staring had to yield some results. It also looked like Cas needed to be touched as much as Dean needed to touch. He would complain then melt as soon as Dean started tracing his skin with his fingers or any other body part.

"Dad," an utterly annoyed voice grumbled suspiciously close to him. Two tiny hand pressed into the side of his thigh and pushed him to the side, failing, of course. "Dad, quit hugging Cas," Henry whined and attempted to push Dean again. Dean groaned into Cas neck as the man in his arms loudly laughed at them. One more push had Dean moving to stand beside Cas. Both of their hands coming to cover their front. The three-year-old in his black briefs looked annoyed and red in the face rather than suspicious, and Dean was immensely grateful for that. It was way too early for Dean to handle questions about why the two adults covered their fronts at the same time. "Come on, Cas," Henry commanded, grabbing Cas's hands.

Cas lightly chuckled and let the irked child lead him to the bathroom, but not before giving Dean a kiss on his cheek. Dean blushed and stared goofily at his floorboards. It wasn't until a minute later that Dean realized he had something to do. Dean left his room to hear the sound of running water and Henry asking if he could have strawberries with his oatmeal.

Dean snorted and walked to his son's room. He walked into the room then turned and walked to the beige chest that stood next to the wall. He open the bottom drawer and pulled out the first underwear his hand touched. It didn't really matter because there was a high possibility Henry would end up spilling something on his pants that would in turn seep through. It sill baffled him how kids could go from wearing diapers to being perfectly potty trained and still managed to change clothes at least twice a day. With the white underwear with the Batman logo in hand, Dean closed the bottom draw and opened the one above it and pulled out Henry's khaki shorts. He closed that drawer and opened the last one on top and pulled out a plain white t-shirt. He would have regretted it, but he had two drawers filled with clothes that Henry would go through this week alone regardless.

Dean left the room and turned to walk to the bathroom. He stopped realizing he would probably end up watching Henry while Cas got breakfast, so he might as well get his toothbrush. The green-eyed man made his way back to his room and his own bathroom to pick up his red and black toothbrush. He forwent getting his own toothpaste. He would use Cas's toothpaste. After all, couples who lived together share stuff. Dean left the bathroom and walked out his room to hear humming coming from the bathroom. A wide grin covered Dean face when he recognized his son humming; it wasn't any tune Dean knew, and it was abruptly cut off then start up again. Dean chuckled, and a low laugh flowed out the bathroom and into the hall.

Dean shook his head and walked the small distance to join his own little family. When he got there, Cas was drying his face with the cream wash towel Dean kept in the bathroom. Henry was sitting in the bathtub with water up to the bottom of his ribcage. He had his red toy boat with the little brown bear with a sailor's hat in his hand, cutting through the sea of bubbles in front of him. And not for the first time, Dean was hit with a sense of disbelief. Since Cas returned his feelings, Dean kept wondering on more that one occasion if he was dreaming. Was that really his son sitting in that tub, humming to himself? Was that his son telling the little bear that he would get him back to his family? Was the light brunette haired child with eyes that mirrored his really his?

"Henry," the man standing in his bathroom said, handing the wash towel on the rail next to the bathroom mirror, "your dad is going to help you get dressed while I make you oatmeal, okay?"

Was the man with night skies for eyes really his? Was his love really accepted by the man whose hair couldn't decide which way it wanted to grow? Was that really his angel who was smiling with his whole face at the child in the bathtub?

"Mm-hmm," Henry said, not taking his eyes off the boat. Cas snorted then faced Dean. Dean stepped into the bathroom and had his back to the door. Cas smiled fondly at him, and Dean felt as if something in him slipped back into place. Cas stepped up to his and cupped his face with his good hand. Cas gently kissed him. This was real. Cas was real. They way he sucked on Dean's lips as he softly stroked Dean's cheek with his thumb was real. The way their noses rested against each other was real. The way Cas always liked their toes touching when they kissed was real.

Cas pulled back, hand still on Dean's face, and Dean did not whimper. He didn't. "So," Cas drawled, "do you want strawberries with your oatmeal as well?"

Dean captured Cas's lips. "I can think of better use for those strawberries," Dean quietly muttered against Cas's lips. The hand on his face tensed, and the man in front of him released a gust of air, hitting Dean with a cool, minty smell. The hand dropped from Dean's face to his chest, and Cas pushed his chest.

"I..." Cas said and minutely blinked at him. "I...I'm going to go now," he quickly said, grabbed his toothbrush and left the bathroom. Dean watched him walked back to their room with a smirk on his face and eyes lingering on his ass. After today, Dean hands could finally go lower than Cas's waist. Dean gave a small huff before turning to his son. Dean walked over to the tub and hung Henry's clothes on the shower rod right next to his Robin towel. Dean walked back to the sink with his toothbrush and smirked when he saw Cas's toothpaste. Either Cas left it because he knew Dean would need it, or he forgot it in his hasty attempt to escape the bathroom. Dean knew it was the latter. Dean uncapped the toothpaste and squeezed a pea size amount of the tricolored toothpaste.

With his toothbrush inches from his mouth, Dean looked at his son's reflection in the mirror and asked, "You excited about Cas getting his cast off, bud?"

Henry's head snapped up, and he broadly grinned at Dean. "Yeah!" he cheered and managed to cause a multitude of ripples.

"And that's only going to happen if we can actually get there." One of Dean's eyebrow rose above the other. Dean leaned to the left in time to see Cas turn and start walking down the stairs while Henry giggled behind him. Dean shook his head, small fond smile on his face because of the two of them, before righting himself and beginning to brush his teeth. Dean made quick work of brushing his teeth and washing his face.

"Five more minutes, and then we get you washed up," Dean told Henry before getting the wash towel. He got it just before Henry grumbled and agreed. Dean dried his face, folded the towel and placed it back on the rail. He turned around and leaned on the sink, arms crossed, as he watched his son make up and down movements with his boat. Ever so often he would feel as if someone sucked all the air out of his chest and filled it with warmth when Henry would look up and smile at him. The warmth in his chest would exponentially grow whenever Henry's smile grew after he smiled back.

Dean pushed himself off the sink a short time afterward and walked to the tub. He sat down and grabbed the first of the two bottles Cas had already left there. Dean choked on his laugh when he saw the bottle in his hand. In his hands was the bottle of body wash with Elmo on it his mom had bought. The day after Cas's relatives left, his mom showed up at their door, waving the bottle. Cas took one look at the bottle, turned around and walked back to the kitchen. His mom trailed after him, laughing the entire way while he stood on the stairs shaking his head. Henry, of course, demanded to have another bath, so he could use his new body wash.

"Okay, up," Dean instructed. Henry released his boat and grabbed onto the offered hand and pulled himself up. Once up, Dean released his hand, uncapped the bottle and poured a quarter size amount on his palm. He lathered up both his palms then took Henry left arm and tenderly rubbed up and down his arm. The slender arm in his hand was indication enough that the child standing before he was very much alive and real. The small feet kicking the red boat, causing the small waves, was very much real

"Daddy?" Henry gently called after Dean finished lathering up his fingers and started on the next arm.

"Yeah, Ry?" Dean answered, not taking his eyes on the arm he was lathering, eyes lingering on the light-brown, one-inch, hook-shaped birthmark on Henry's bicep, closer to his shoulder. Dean gently stroked the mark with his index finger. His mom always said the mark suited Henry. He always had a habit of pulling people in. Henry hooked Cas and pulled him into their family. Henry had his hook in Dean's heart since day one, and Dean doubted he would let go anytime soon. And Dean wouldn't want him to.

"Will Cas carry me around like before?" came his whispered questioned. Dean head snapped up. It seemed to Henry that if he said the question out loud Cas would never carry him about as he did random things around the house. As Dean looked at beseeching forest-green eyes, he realized how much Henry had gotten used to being held by Cas, and how much he didn't want to lose that. Dean knew how Henry felt about not being able to hug Cas with all his might like he used to or have him gently rock him to sleep. It felt as if someone shoved a spear through his chest every time Cas handed Henry back, with a crestfallen look on his face, after his good arm got tired. The spear went deeper when Henry pouted at them both but still held onto Cas shirt.

Dean washed off the body wash of his right hand, using the bath water, and cupped Henry's cheek, fingers carding through his thick wet hair on the side of his head. "Cas is just as excited to get his cast off as you are because he wants to hold just as much as you want to hold him," Dean told him.

"Really?" his little prince asked, his eyes more imploring than before. Dean's heart crumbled, and he caressed Henry's cheek with his thumb. The way Henry closed his eyes and embraced the touch assured Dean that his son was very much alive, real and his. Relief swept through him when he thought about the three women who had come into his life. He was immensely glad that had left. His son was innocent, and Dean wouldn't want them influencing him. Henry already had enough great people to influence him. And now Henry had another who valued his life above his own.

"Yeah, buddy," Dean quietly said. "Now let's get you washed up. We don't want to keep Cas waiting." His son opened his eyes and quickly nodded. Dean removed his hand and reached over to switch the small, two-inch, metal rod, under the faucet, that stopped the water from draining down. While the water drained, Dean took another quarter size amount of body wash and lathered up both of Henry's legs. He then repeated the process for his back and tummy. If he took the time to tickle Henry's tummy to hear his son giggle, then that was his own little secret.

When Henry was all lathered up, Dean stood up, placed the body wash back next to the shampoo, and turned the shower head to face the wall. Dean pressed down on the diamond shaped dial. He turned the dial so that the water was lukewarm. He tested it to make sure. Dean couldn't have Henry burning himself like he almost did weeks ago. "Okay, bud," Dean said, holding on the shower head, "time to wash it off."

Henry nodded, and Dean turned the shower head. The first thing Henry did when the water hit him was spread his arms wide open. Dean snorted, remembering Henry first shower. It was around March, and he decided that he was old enough to shower like his daddy. Dean had assumed that he would hate it, but it turned out Henry loved it. He loved spreading his arms wide and letting the steady stream of water hit. He loved scrubbing off the body wash, similar to what he was doing right now, starting with his arms then his stomach then his legs and finally his back. The catch was, whenever he wanted a shower, he insisted he had to play first, and Dean had to help him with his body wash.

When Henry finished washing his back, Dean turned the shower head, and Henry turned to face him. "Shampoo?" Dean asked. Henry enthusiastically nodded his head. Dean chuckled and picked up the clear bottle with the white shampoo in it. He squirted a small amount in his hand and rubbed his hand together then ran his hard through Henry hair, starting for the front. The bathroom was soon filled with the scent of coconut. (When Dean asked why Cas bought coconut scented shampoo, he said Henry chose it). After doing that, he gently massaged Henry's scalp with his fingertips. "Bend your head forward, and keep your eyes closed," Dean instructed then turned the shower head back. This time he washed Henry's hair, making sure he got all the shampoo out. Dean turned off the shower when he was finished. Henry shook his head like a dog would after a bath, getting water everywhere, Dean's bare legs included. Dean huffed and grabbed Henry's bright-red towel. He wrapped it around his wet little prince then wrapped his arms around him and lifted him out of the bathtub. Dean started kissing his wet cheeks, nose and forehead.

"Dad," Henry giggled and squirmed in his arms.

"You're so adorable," Dean muttered into his cheek.

"Dad," Henry whined, but Dean went on kissing him, not caring his face was getting wet or water was dripping on his feet. Dean was happy were he was.

~~~✴~~~

"Dean, we're going to be late," the dark-haired man in nothing but faded-blue denim shorts said with a small glare. It was around nine-forty, and Cas had his appointment at ten.

"No, we're not," Dean replied, eyes glued to Cas's chest. He knew they were going to be late. It was a ten minutes drive from here to the hospital, and he was still in his boxers, sitting next to Henry on his bed. Dean was thankful Henry didn't spill anything on his clothes, or they would've been really late.

"Dean," Cas seriously said with his good hand on his hip, which was cocked to the side.

"Dr. Hansen wouldn't be upset if your late," Dean responded. "He practically adores you." Henry wasn't the only one who could draw people in. For someone who considered himself awkward, Cas sure knew how to get people to gravitate toward him. Dean's lucky Henry got to him first, or else someone else would have offered him a place to stay. And they would have possibly fallen in love with him. Yeah, Dean was happy they got to him first.

"That doesn't mean he wants me to be late to my appointment," Cas said, slightly miffed.

"Okay," Dean sighed and got up. Dean didn't mean to be so uncompromising, but he just wanted to spend more time with his family. Business really took off last week, and the others and he were forced to work for longer hours and even on Saturday. Because of work, he had less time to spend with them, and Sunday wasn't enough since he spent most of it sleeping. Sure he wanted Cas's cast off--god, did he want that--but he wanted a little more time, just the three of them.

Dean walked over to their opened closet. And he was suddenly swept away with a sense of cordiality and rightness when he thought of anything as theirs. As Dean stood there at looked at his now filled closet, he couldn't help but be overcome with giddiness and utter relief. No more would he be subjected to stare at a barren closet--because Cas had made himself home there. Shirts of all shades and pattern hung before him--his own shirts--however few they may be--pushed to the far right. His one pair of dress shoes and one pair of black sneakers were pushed to the side to make room for Cas's five pairs of dress shoes, six pairs of sneakers, three pairs of flip-flops, and two pairs of sandals. All of Cas's other clothes were in the four drawers that lined the left side of the closet. Each filled to the top. Cas decided to keep his winter stuff in storage, but when the time came, they would put them in the chest that was behind Dean and next to the bathroom door.

"What are you looking at?" he heard Cas say as he brushed past him to get to his top drawer, the one under his four towels: light-blue, cream, deep-green, and black. Dean euphoria grew a little thinking about Cas having his own side, his own little place for himself. Cas was becoming more of a constant in their lives, craving a place for himself. Never before had Dean been this elated to share anything. Never before had he longed for the day when they would have to compromise on closet space. If the ended up buying more clothes, they were going to have to get rid of some old one...or maybe, they could buy a new chest and placed it against the wall adjacent to the one the closet was on. A strong burning desire built up in his chest thinking about them buying something together rather than deciding what not to keep.

"Nothing," Dean answered, walking up to the man who was looking through his pile of neatly folded t-shirts. Unlike Dean, Cas placed all his t-shirts in his top drawer instead of his underwear--that was on the bottom drawer. Dean wrapped his arm around Cas's waist and rested his nose on Cas shoulder. Immediately his nose was assaulted with the scent of vanilla. Dean turned his nose to Cas's neck and deeply breathed in.

"That's not getting ready," Cas commented, and Dean could feel him pulling out a shirt.

"Did I ever tell you how much I love your body wash?" Dean asked, taking another deep breath. He could stand here and breathe Cas in all day.

"Why do you think I still buy it?" Cas amusedly responded, pushing his drawer closed. A sonorous giggle was heard coming from their right. Dean chuckled into Cas's neck and felt Cas leaned more into him. Dean gave his neck a kiss and let his lips linger there. "Dean," Cas near whined.

"Fine," Dean said in a gruff voice. He unwound his arms from around Cas, but not before placing a kiss on his bare shoulder. As soon as he hand were gone, Cas bent down and picked up his white flip-flops that matched the white t-shirt in his hand.

He then faced Dean and raised an eyebrow. "Did you put sunscreen on Henry?" Dean leaned forward and kissed him, tasting a hint of jasmine. "Dean," Cas grumbled against his lip.

"He doesn't need it," Dean replied, lips still together.

"Dean," Cas breathed out, and Dean was hit with a stronger smell of jasmine mixed with apples, and cinnamon.

"We're going to take the impala there and back," Dean reminded him and lightly kissed him again. Cas, on the other hand, deepened the kiss. Cas opened his mouth, but just before Dean reached out with his tongue, he was pushed back by two small hands. Dean looked down to see an annoyed little boy with slightly narrowed eyes.

"I want a kiss, too," he demanded, staring fervidly up at Dean.

"Okay," Dean fondly smiled and bent down.

"Not you," Henry protested and pushed Dean farther back. Dean blinked at his son while Cas let a thunderous laugh. Henry narrowed his eyes a little more then turned to Cas. Cas, still laughing, crouched down.

"You're still my favorite, Henry," Cas told him then placed a kiss on both his cheeks. Henry answered him with a wide smile before kissing both of Cas's cheeks. The rush of affection he felt overshadowed his sullen mood caused by his son not wanting him to kiss him.

"Where's my kisses?" Dean asked, sounding more petulant than he wanted to. Henry looked at him, huffed then opened his arms. Dean rolled his eyes, trying to combat the smile threatening to break out, and picked him up. Cas stood up as well. Henry kissed both of his cheeks as well then stared at Dean.

Dean surged forward and pretended to bite his cheek. "Nom-nom," Dean said as Henry squealed with laughter and tried to push Dean's face. "You're so adorable," Dean said and kissed the nose of his red faced son.

"Dad," he grumbled and pouted. Dean kissed his cheek then rubbed his nose up and down his cheek.

He walked over to the bed and put Henry down. "You stay here while we finish getting ready," Dean told him and got a nod in response. Dean walked back to the closet, passing Cas, who went to the bed. Dean opened his second draw and pulled out his black jeans. He quickly stepped into them, and zipped and buttoned himself up. When he looked over to the bed, Cas already had his cast through hos shirt and was in the process of getting his shirt over his head. Henry wasn't too far away, staring raptly up at Cas. Dean snorted before facing his drawers again. He opened his bottom drawer and pulled out a short sleeved shirt, which happened to be his off-white Henley. He pulled the shirt on and opened the two buttons at the top.

"Hey, babe?" Dean called out and got silence. Dean looked over to see Cas staring at him with with an elevated eyebrow and an amused smile tugging on his lips. Henry was frowning with one hand on Cas's arm.

"Babe?" the angel asked, and Dean flushed. Embarrassment gripped him. The pet name slipped out. Dean couldn't remember the last time he called someone 'babe.' He always called Lisa and Cassie by their names. And he called Jennifer 'Jen' because she that was what everyone called her.

"It slipped put," Dean confessed. "If you don't want me to call you that, then I won't." Even though, he really wanted to. Everybody called him 'Cas' now, and he wanted something to set him apart from the rest. He had no problem calling Jennifer 'Jen.' But Cas was different. Dean wanted something that was just for the two of them, even if it had to be something generic as 'babe.'

"No, it's fine," Cas earnestly told him. "I was just checking to make sure that's the pet name you've going with." Dean nodded, feeling his body being filled with relief and joy while his head filled with images of him calling Cas 'babe' when they woke up together, were among his family, and out in public. "You wanted something, right?"

"What? Oh, yeah. Do you mind if I borrow you black flip-flops?" Dean asked.

Cas looked at Henry and smiled, which Henry returned. "Your dad sure does work fast," Cas smirked. "Going from pet names to sharing clothes in a matter of seconds." Henry frowned but gave up his confusion in favor of grinning at Cas. Cas turned to face Dean and said, "You really don't have to ask. I'm more than happy sharing with you."

"Who's moving fast now?" Dean jokingly inquired. Cas rolled his eyes and went about fixing Henry's hair. Dean chuckled and picked up the flip-flops. He closed his closet doors in time to see Cas lift Henry off the bed with one arm. Dean dropped the flip-flops on the floor and stepped into them. "Ready?" Dean asked, ignoring Cas's eye roll, and focused on Henry's nod. Dean huffed. Henry wasn't the one who was going to get his cast off.

"Come on, Henry," Cas said, taking his hand and leading him out of the room, Dean following with a smirk. Dean chuckled as Cas held Henry's hand as he hopped from one step to the next. Dean didn't believe Henry would give up that quirk anytime soon. When they got to the bottom of the stairs, Henry let go of Cas hand to open the door for him. He grabbed hold of Cas's hand again and led him outside. Dean grabbed his keys, pulled the door close behind him and locked it. Dean turned and walked to his baby. Cas and Henry were already on the side where Henry's car seat was. Dean opened the driver door and unlocked the other doors. Cas opened the back door, and Henry scrambled up, getting into the Car seat. Cas securely strapped him in and closed the door. Dean opened the passenger door for Cas, who smiled his appreciation.

"Let's get this over with," Cas said once he was seated and buckled in.

"You really don't like hospital," Dean remarked, starting up the car and pulling out of the driveway.

"No," Cas simply stated.

"Aunty Charlie doesn't like them, too," Henry added.

"She mentioned that," Cas said in a gloomy tone, causing Dean to glance at him and his fallen face. Charlie must have told him why. The need to hold Cas's hand clawed at him, but he couldn't because of the cast. Hopefully when they get there, Dr.Hansen could get this cast off as soon as possible. Silence filled the car after that. Except, Henry and Cas were drumming their fingers om their respective side of the car. Dean wasn't even sure they knew they were both doing it, both staring intently out the window. Dean snorted and left them to their tapping. Not too long after, Dean spotted the hospital. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Cas sit up straighter. Dean remembered when something simple as sitting up would cause to hiss out in pain. While his ribs had healed, Cas would still hiss out in pain whenever he accidentally hit his arm. After today, they wouldn't have to worry about that ever again--Dean would see to it that Cas never got hurt ever again.

Dean pulled into the parking lot, eyes scanning for the closest parking spot. There was a spot at the end of the first row of parking spots. Dean parked the car and cut the engine. "I'll get Henry," he told Cas, who nodded. Dean unbuckled his seatbelt, walked out the car and locked the door. He walked around the back of the car.

"One day, he's going to figure out how to unbuckle himself," Cas commented when Dean got to the other side, looking ready to bolt.

"I know," Dean lamented, opening the door to get to the impatient child. "Easy there, bub," Dean said when Henry tried to sit up. Dean unbuckled him in a flash and hoisted him up. Dean closed the door and put on the alarm. Dean walked up to Cas and took his hand. Cas shot him a grateful smile and walked shoulder to shoulder with Dean. "How come you don't like hospital?" Dean questioned.

"I can't stand the smell," answered Cas. "And it's an extremely depressing place if you think about it." Cas's voice was quite and dismal when he said that. Dean gave his hand a squeeze which Cas returned. The squeeze cemented Dean's resolve to keep Cas from harm. "And...and I spent a lot of time in one when my dad was sick." Dean's steps faltered a bit, and both Henry and he looked at Cas. The only thing the knew about Cas's father was he was responsible for a lot of the things Cas knew: cooking, fencing, myths, archery, how to play the piano, and other things Dean knew Cas had yet to tell them.

Dean's own sorrow surged up picturing a younger version of Cas sitting in a hospital as he father slowly passed away. His sorrow intensified seeing Cas's set jaw, a clear indication he did want to talk about it--probably not now. Dean hoped so. Dean squeezed his hand and said, "Then let's hurry up and get that damn cast off." His angel gripped his hand tight and didn't call him out for swearing in front of Henry.

Dean continued to let Cas hold his hand tight as the walked through the automatic doors. Sayo, who was at the front desk, waved at them. "Hey, Sayo," Dean said, coming up to the front desk.

"Hey, guys," she happily greeted them. Henry waved at her and Cas gave a simple 'hello.' "Dr.Hansen is just down this hall--" she pointed to the left, "--last door on your right."

"Thanks, Sayo," Dean smiled.

"No problem," she replied and focused her attention to the screen in front of her. The three of them left her to her work and made their way down the hall. Dean arched an eyebrow at the bleach-blonde in baby-blue scrubs who stared at Cas's face for longer than necessary. She haughtily stuck her nose up and walked past them. Dean was slightly ruffled. He really wished the some of the nurses would get over themselves. He didn't ruin any of their chances with Cas. They didn't even had a chance with Cas to begin with. Cas was in love with him before coming here. And more importantly, they seemed to somehow forget Cas was gay. The only ones who had a chance were Peter and David, but that was never going to happen since they were both straight. They needed to accept Cas was gay and stop shooting his daggers every time he showed up with Cas.

Cas snickered. Dean sent him a sidelong glare. "It's not funny, Cas," Dean groused.

"It's a little bit funny," Cas meekly said. Dean scowled at him. "Okay, It's annoying how they won't accept me being gay," Cas relented. "At least after today, you would only have to see them once a year." Dean loudly groaned, and Cas laughed as he lead him through the door. "Sorry, I'm late, Dr. Hansen," Cas apologized to the elderly man wearing black slacks, a white, buttoned up shirt and a lab coat.

"You're not late," he told them. "I just finished with another patient." He patted the bed and said, "Come one, let's get that cast off." Cas let go of his hand and hopped onto the bed. Dr.Hansen picked up the small saw sitting on the tray. The saw was about five inches long with a blue handle and a small metal rod that went through a circular blade. Dr.Hansen started up the saw, and Cas held his hand out.

"Cas," came a small, terrified voice. And Dean felt a hand dig into his chest.

Cas's head snapped up, and he looked at them. Cas's shoulders sagged and a guilty look invaded his facial features. "He's not going to hurt me, sweetheart," Cas tenderly assured him. The grip on Dean's chest only increased. The buzzing noise stopped. Dean was sure his own face was contorted with guilt. They had both completely forgotten about this part. "Dean, you should take him outside," Cas urged.

"No, I wanna stay," Henry protested.

Cas hopped off the bed and walked over to them. He cupped his face. "But you're scared, sweetie," Cas whispered.

"No, I'm not," Henry ardently refuted, his other hand gripping Cas's shirt.

"Okay," Cas stated, and Dean protest rose but didn't make it out of his mouth. "But your dad is, and I don't want him to be alone outside. So, will you go outside with him for me, please?" The grip on Dean slackened, and Henry looked at him imploringly. Cas took back his hand. It wasn't a total lie. Dean was extremely uncomfortable seeing the blade so close to Cas. And he let that imagine help convince his son. "It'll be over before you know it," Cas informed him. Henry glanced back at him and nodded. Cas and he sagged as one, and Cas gave him a wan smile.

"Thanks, bud," Dean said and kissed his cheek. Dean whirled around and walked out the room. And the door was closed behind him. Dean walked a little farther down the hall.

"Dad," Henry complained, and Dean stopped, figuring this was far enough. Henry turned in Dean's arms and buried his face in Dean's neck. Dean could hear a faint buzzing sound, and Henry was back to digging into his chest. Dean's heard broke and mended itself every time Henry tightened his grip. Dean pulled Henry closer to him. After short time of holding each other close, the door opened, and Dean was off. Dr.Hansen stepped out and gave them a tiny smile. He patted Dean on the shoulder and walked passed them.

Dean stepped into the room to find Cas standing next to bed. He gave them a broad, dazzling smile before rising his arm. His now cast free had was pale, a stark contrast to the rest of his tan self, with a tan line around his elbow. Cas wiggled his fingers, smile growing wider. Henry started squirming, so Dean put him down. Henry ran to Cas, who crouched down to pick him up. Henry wrapped his arms around Cas's neck while Cas had on arm under his bottom and one hand through the hairs on the back of his head. Cas started massaging the back of his head, and Henry mewled.

Dean felt his heart constrict, watching his son and Cas clung onto each other. Cas slowly rocked up and down on his feet, and Henry sighed. The only thing missing was the humming, but Dean suspected Henry would settle for being able to be held by Cas. Dean stood there, hands in his pockets, as his son reacquainted himself with the one comfort he had been deprived of, his own heart swelling with how much he loved the two of them.

~~~✴~~~

"Yes, Anna, I have my computer out," Cas irritatedly sighed as his _Macbook_ started up, showing a picture of Anna and him, arms linked, from last Christmas, standing in front of the Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center. He was wearing the black leather jacket she bought him--he could see the gray turtle neck he wore--and a purple beanie. Anna was wearing a black jacket that had faux fur around the neck--light-brown in the middle and gold on the edge. She had her hair out, some covering her left eye, and a smile that far outshone the one on his face.

Anna had recently gotten out of Med school and had started her residence in Seattle. Michael, having decided that since Anna and he were finally out of school and had jobs, said they should all be together for Christmas to celebrate--the first time in years there wasn't anything pressing to attend to: no classes to take, no important clients coming, no business meetings. It was also one of the rare times they were all relaxed, and they allowed Balthazar and Gabriel to drag them to all their favorite places. (He had went to those places a few times but let them have their fun). It was the first time Michael listened to him talk about his field of study without thinking he should have focused on something more practical. Michael actually gave him his blessing after seeing how happy he was doing what he wanted. Lucifer was still very much a mother hen to him. It still came as shock to most people that Lucifer could be so caring. The thing they didn't know was Lucifer's caring only extend as far as family. And his caring kicked up a notch when it came to him. Cas truly believed Lucifer viewed the human race as a plague he need to protect himself and his family from--especially him. Cas wasn't entirely truthful when he told Balthazar he picked guys Michael might like. He wanted Lucifer to like them as well.

" _Bluebird, you still there_?" Anna's voice snapped him out of his thoughts, just in time, too. He could feel gloominess stir up inside him.

"Yeah," he answered, "just looking at the picture we took from last Christmas." Cas kissed the mess of light-brunette hair in front of him. Henry was sitting on his lap--they still haven't separated from each other--with his arms on top of Cas pale arm on the island, thumb stoking Cas's arm. Cas could tell him that his arm was fully healed but allowed Henry to see for himself. And Cas needed the touch. He had gotten so used to having Henry close that the last two weeks had been torture.

" _Oh, bluebird_ \--"

"Stop," Cas interrupted her, "I'm fine." Henry tensed in his lap, and Cas gave him another kiss.

" _Okay_ ," She sullenly said. He could pictured her annoyance and anger toward Michael and Lucifer. "Hurry up and come online." He rolled his eyes but drew the cursor to the the big white 'S' in a blue cloud. He clicked the icon and signed in when the screen popped out.

"I'm signed in," he told her.

" _I see that_ ," came her response.

"I should just ignore your call because of that," he muttered, looking at the screen that said Anna was calling. Cas clicked accept, ended his call, and placed his phone on the island. He wrapped his free hand around Henry's front when his sister came on screen. Her hair was in a ponytail, and she was wearing a black strapless dress. The was a window with white walls surrounding it behind her that showed a large gray building outside. She was still at work and missing her lab coat.

" _You didn't have to cut me off_ ," she said straight away.

"What was that, Anna? I can't hear you," he said, frowning, and smiled down at Henry when he looked up, confused. Anna frowned, picked up her phone, unlocked it and dialed his number. "I can hear you perfectly fine," Cas smirked, ignoring his vibrating phone.

" _I hate you so much right now_ ," she replied and the vibrations stopped. She placed her phone down and glared at him. She then looked at Henry and waved. " _Hi, Henry_."

"Hi, Anna," his little prince said and nestled closer to him.

 

" _Aww_ ," she cooed, and Henry pressed closer. Cas tightened the hand around him and kissed the top of his head. Cas had a hunch Henry was afraid of him giving him up to the next person who wanted to dote on him. Cas wasn't going to give him up unless Henry told him to. Part of him knew it wasn't only applying to now.

 

"You wanted to tell me something, right?" Cas reminded her.

She gazed back at him and said, " _Yeah, but I wanted to see how the arm was first_."

"My arm's fine," he answered, and to prove his point, he lifted up his arm, and Henry's by extension. "See," he continued, wiggling his fingers. He lowered his hand, and the stroking resumed. "And I'm pretty sure that's what Dr.Hansen told you when you called him today.

" _He did_ ," she replied, not even going to deny it. " _I just wanted to see for myself_."

Cas rolled his eyes at her then replied, "Well, now you have. So, what was so important that you couldn't tell me over the phone?"

Her face lit up, and it almost seemed like she bounced in her chair. " _You're going to be an uncle!_ " she excitedly shouted.

Confused didn't even begin to describe what he was feeling. "I already knew that," Cas said, and Anna got a confused look on her face, "but Rachel isn't due for another three months." Anna frustratingly groaned and lightly banged her head on her desk. Cas confusion built with every bang until he got it. "Oh," he softly exclaimed.

She sat up straight. " _'Oh?' yes 'oh!'_ " she exasperatedly shouted.

Indignation flared up. "Well, you can't blame me for not getting it right away! I didn't even know you and Jeff were trying!" he shouted back.

Anna huffed, her eyes skyward. She finally looked at him and said, " _We didn't want to tell anyone until there was something to tell_."

Cas's shoulders slouched. "So, you're..." he trailed off.

" _Yeah_ ," She said, all anger and frustration gone, only excitement and joy left behind.

"Congratulations," Cas said, voice suddenly thick, eyes prickling. Anna and he were the same in their fondness for children. "Aren't you a little too young to be a mom?" he asked, unable to stop himself from baiting her. What he didn't expect was for her eyes to stray to Henry. "Hey!" Cas indignantly yelled, pulling Henry closer. He could feel his face heat up. As much as he wanted it to be true, he wasn't Henry's dad. Henry had a dad--a great one, too. The only way Henry could be his son would be if he...but he wasn't going to think about that right now--or for a while. Anna smirked and crossed her arms. "How far along are you?" Cas asked, ignoring her smirk and his battling emotions.

" _Three months_ ," she answered.

"Three months?!" Cas squeaked then added, "How long have you known?" Her fidgeting and playing with her hair was not the response he wanted. "Anna."

" _A little over a month_ ," she finally replied and cringed.

"Anna!" he yelled, outraged, the same time he heard the front door opened. Henry turned his head, and Cas mimicked him and saw Dean heading their way with a smile on his face.

" _Who is it?_ " he heard Anna say. He didn't answer her but smiled at Dean.

"Daddy!" Henry called out when Dean stepped into the kitchen.

"Hey, buddy," Dean greeted him, walking over to them and kissing Henry on his forehead. "Hey," Dean said to him.

"Hello, Dean," Cas smiled and accepted Dean's kiss.

" _Aww_ ," Cas heard his sister coo, and they quickly broke apart. Cas faced the screen to glower at his sister. He wanted to blame her behavior on hormones, but he knew better.

"Hey, Anna," Dean slowly said.

" _Hi, Dean_ ," she responded in a cheerful tone, her smile making her eyes two small slits of pine-green. Before Cas could say anything, the alarm on his phone went off.

"Dean, can take out the casserole and put it on the stove?" Cas asked, unlocking his one and turning off the alarm, keeping his arm there.

"Sure, babe," Dean asked, and then he was gone. Anna winked at him when he looked back at her, and he refused to let her effect him. Though, he was sure his cheeks were painted red. Nearly all they guys he had ever dated referred to him as 'Castiel.' There was that one guy, Nick, who called him 'honey.' And Eric mostly called him Novak. All those names felt wrong, which made no sense since two of them were his name. It could be that there was no love behind them. When Dean called him 'Cas,' there was love behind it. When Dean called him 'babe,' there was love behind it. He couldn't explain how right it felt when Dean first called him that--how right it felt at how easily the word came out.

Cas cleared his throat at got back to the problem at hand. "How many?" Cas asked with an arched eyebrow. Cas heard the oven opened, and the smell of chicken and melted cheese filled the room.

" _How many what?_ " asked his confused sister. The sound of a pan being placed on the stove followed then the sound of a closing oven door.

"How many are you carrying?" Cas exhaustedly said, trying so hard not to roll his eyes.

"Who's carrying?" Dean asked, coming to stand by his right side.

"My's sister's pregnant apparently," Cas answered, removing his hand from the island. "And it somehow slipped her mind, in the few days she was here, to tell me."

"That's great," Dean said, taking his hand and threading their fingers together. "Congratulations." Cas tried not to blush as a thumb caressed the back of his hand. He loved Dean touching him as much as Dean loved touching him. Cas wasn't even put off by how tactile Dean was. He knew Dean would be. Cad had seen it with Henry. He had seen it when Dean hugged his family whenever he saw them, even if it was twice in the same day. He had seen it in the way Dean would pretend boxing with the other guys or ruffle Charlie's hair to annoy her. He had seen it in the way Dean wouldn't relax until his mom kissed his cheek or forehead as a goodbye. It was almost as if Dean needed the constantly remind himself that they were real. It was one of the reasons Cas made sure Dean knew he was here to stay.

" _Thank you_ ," Anna grinned at him. " _Jeff and I are really excited_."

"I know the feeling," Dean said in a soft tone and moved a step closer. "Though, you might want to catch up on your sleep now."

Anna threw her head back and gave a ringing laugh. " _I'll keep that in mind_."

"See that you do," Dean remarked, "'cus this one--" he used his other hand to tickle Henry's side, and Henry giggled, "--waited until he was older than one before he started sleeping through the night."

"Dad," Henry whined and pushed his hand away. Cas chuckled and kissed his temple to appease him.

"I don't believe that," Anna disbelievingly stated. "Henry's way too sweet and well behaved." Dean and Cas snorted at the same time then smiled at each other while Henry ducked his head. They both knew how stubborn Henry could get when it came to sleep. Cas had seen chase after Henry countless time, trying to catch him to get him to take a bath or to even get to upstairs. Cas suspected it was easier now that he was here to help catch him or bribe him with more than one stories.

"Oh, no, he's a troublemaker, all right," Dean commented.

"Dad," Henry grumbled.

"A real handful, too," Cas added.

"Cas!" Henry whined, tilting his head back.

Cas kissed his forehead. "We're kidding, Henry," Cas informed him, and Henry pouted at him. Cas untangled his fingers from Dean's, much to Dean's dissapproval, to tickle side. Henry laughed and tried to escape Cas's fingers. "You're not a handful all the time.

"Cas!" Henry cried out, and the three adults burst out laughing. The arm on his arm was removed, so that Henry could cross his arms.

" _As much as I would love to continue this,_ " Anna glumly announced, " _I have an appointment coming up._ "

"Okay," Cas replied, equally as glum. "I really am happy for you. And tell Jeff congrats."

Her shoulders sagged. " _I know you are, bluebird,_ " she fondly told him, " _and I'll tell him_."

"And from us, too," Dean interjected.

" _Will do_ ," Anna smiled. " _Bye, guys_." She then waved and said, " _Bye, Henry_."

"Bye," said a quiet voice.

"Bye, Anna," Cas said, trying to hide his amusement.

"Bye," Dean said.

" _Bye_ ," Anna said and ended the call. Cas used his uncovered arm to reach out and close his laptop. He then used the very same hand to loop under Henry's legs. Dean moved out of the way as Cas got off the stool.

"How was your day?" Cas inquired, but Dean was looking at the kid in his arm. "He's still pouting, isn't he?"

"Yep," Dean answered, eyes still on Henry.

Cas sighed then turned Hendy so that he was sitting on his arm. Henry still had his arms crossed, eyes downcast, and an adorable pout on his face. Cas kissed his cheek and muttered, "I was kidding, Henry," against it. "You're most adorable and wonderful kid ever."

"Really?" Henry asked, uncrossing his arm and holding onto Cas's collar and arm. Dean was chuckling from his place beside them.

Cas drew back and solemnly said, "Yes." Because Henry was adorable and wonderful. And Cas still had a hard time believing Henry would want him in his life. Cas would temper down the insecurity that riled up when thinking about why Dean would want him because it wouldn't do either of them if they start doubting their relationship. Maybe it was time he truly believed that Dean wanted him around just as much as Henry. After all, someone who truly didn't want him here wouldn't be looking at him with such raw love etched into face.

"So, how was work?" Cas asked again as Henry let go of his collar and rested his head on his collarbone.

The green-eyed man in front of him shrugged. "The usual. People who think they know everything about cars, but they don't. Though, there were less people today."

"That's good," Cas commented. "Things are finally settling down since May." And Cas got the glare he was waiting for.

"Very funny, Cas," Dean groused.

"It was a pretty bad lie if you really think about it," Cas remarked.

"I know," Dean miserable groaned, walked up to them and wrapped his arms around Cas's waist. Dean winked at Henry, who giggled and hid his face in Cas's neck. "Oh, yeah," Dean perked up saying, "my mom told my dad to tell me to tell you that she wants to know if you won't mind helping her cook for Fourth of July."

His eyebrows furrowed. "Why didn't she call me?"

"She didn't want to ask you right after getting your cast off and look inconsiderate, but she needs to know so you can help plan for this Thursday, so she asked me to ask you, figuring you wouldn't say no to me," Dean explained, grinning. Cas didn't know if Dean was grinning because of how ridiculous his mother was being or because Dean knew he wouldn't say no to him. Cas gave him an unimpressed look. "I know," Dean added, sounding far too commiserating.

Cas rolled his eyes and said, "I'll give her a call."

"Thanks, babe," Dean said with a kiss then gave one to Henry. Heat bloomed in Cas's chest and made it to his cheeks. "I really don't care what you guys make as long as I get my pie," Dean announced and was rewarded with a laugh from Henry.

"Made by whom?" Cas amusedly inquired and was rewarded with a sheepish smile. "So, basically, I need to help your mom make a list of things to make and somehow slip in that I want to make the pie?"

"Yep, pretty simple, right?"

"I'm sure she won't suspect a thing," Cas sarcastically said.

"I'm sure she won't," Dean beamed.

"Are there any pies _I_ specifically want to make?" Cas inquired, beaming right back at him.

"Of course," Dean fervently announced, straightening his spine. And Cas was hit with just how much he had come to love the man in front of him in such a short time.

~~~✴~~~

"How are you doing in Dark Ages?" Cas asked, opening the red cooler and taking out a bottle of water for himself and a bottle of beer for Dean, while Dean frowned at the panic looks Sam was shooting him and Cas from the other side of the cooler in his black and green plaid shirt with dark-blue jeans. Dean turned and accepted the beer handed to him, still looking suspiciously at his brother and mentally praising Ash for getting beer with a twistable cap. Cas looked from him to Sam with his own frown. "Dean knows, Sam," Cas informed him, and Dean burst out laughing.

"You jerk!" Sam yelled.

"A little louder, bitch. I don't think Charlie heard you," Dean laughed then took at sip of his beer while Cas chuckled around the mouth if his bottle.

"You told him," Sam hissed under his breath, eyes scanning over their shoulders. Dean's attention was no longer on his brother but Cas's mouth, a mouth that housed a very talented tongue, which Dean had become very acquainted with. Dean wanted to get reacquainted with said mouth and probably get Cas out of the blank and white striped shirt he was wearing, and maybe out of his black denim short while he was at at it.

"Why wouldn't I?" Cas softly whispered back, lowering the bottle and capping it. "And Charlie and Gilda wanted to walk around a bit. And Ash and Jo sneaked off some time ago, probably to go make out somewhere." Dean couldn't help grin at his exasperated tone. Cas wasn't the only one tired of hearing their excuses. Everyone knew where they were going and what they were going to do. Everyone could do with less fumbling and seemingly inconspicuous sneaking off.

"Hopefully, they don't traumatized the locals," Dean added, paying no mind to Sam's bitchface, eyes traveling down the side of Cas's face from his eye to his cheekbone to his strangely un-chapped lips. His face made even more golden by the sun that was slowly descending.

Cas turned his head to face Dean, playful smile on his face. "That's asking a lot, isn't it?" Cas smirked. Unlike the other two, Dean didn't need an excuse. He cupped Cas's face with his free hand and leaned in for a kiss. Cas hummed the second their lips touched. They smiled against each other's lips when they heard Sam groan.

"Guys, there are kids present," Sam grumbled.

They separated but stayed close together, hand finding the small of Cas's back. "The only child I see here, Sam, is you," Dean said and cue glare. Actually, the only child present was Henry since the Winchester had there own section of Centennial Park that they frequented. They same could be said for the other families that had called Lawrence their home for a long time. Everyone knew their turf and stuck to it. And Henry was sued to seeing them kiss.

"What did your brother do now?" a voice asked, and they all turned their head to see Jess walking towards them, her plain-white summer dress with flower embroidery riding past her knees with every step, her hair let out, and her face lit up with an amused smile.

"I'm hurt, Jess," Dean said, holding the had with the beer bottle to his chest. Jess stopped next to her husband, who looped an arm around her waist, and raised an eyebrow. Cas snorted, and Dean turned his head to glare at him, but Cas wasn't looking at him. Dean huffed and face his amused sister-in-law and brother. "I didn't do nothing." She merely rolled those gray eyes of hers.

"So, how are you doing?" Cas asked again, ignoring the two of them.

Sam smirked before he answered with, "Okay, just having trouble with these pixies."

Jess shook her head, and Dean felt a spike of indignation. "You can't get mad at Cas for telling me when you told Jess!" Dean hissed.

"Jess is my wife," Sam calmly answered, "and she wouldn't have judged me." Dean snapped his mouth shout. He was judging right now. Because Sam was having trouble with pixies. _Really?_

"Oh, she's judging you all right," Jess remarked. Cas was biting his lips. Sam gaped at her. "Don't give me that look, Sam. You used to talk so much shit about that game." She focused all her attention on Cas, who looked a little offended but quickly composed himself. Dean would have to ask him about that later. "He used to drive Ash and Charlie up a wall, and Dean was no help." Cas turned his affronted face toward Dean.

"I do like the game," Dean quickly assured him, not knowing why he was in the first place. He also didn't think about how close their faces were, and he how could close the gap. "I just like getting Charlie riled up." Cas marginally relaxed but still looked leerily at him. Sam and Jess were snickering, and he could guess at whom.

"I don't get why they didn't like it at first," Jess mused, and they whipped their head in her direction. Dean refrained from glaring at her for interrupting him when he had decided on going ahead and kissing Cas as an apology, for which he still didn't know what he did wrong. "It's an extremely well made app and very popular."

"Than-that's true," Cas said. The hand that was still on Cas's back felt how Cas tensed for a second. From the lack of confusion on Sam and Jess's face, they didn't notice anything. Dean quelled his suspicion. He was probably making this out to be more than it was. Besides, Dean trusted Cas enough to know he would tell him if anything was wrong in his own time. With that in mind, Dean started caressing Cas's back with his thumb. Before Dean could enjoyed the contact, he was pushed to the side. However, the little hand didn't have enough strength to push him that far.

"Dad," Henry whined, and Cas and Dean looked down to see Henry wedging his way between them. ' _Is this going to be a common thing,_ ' Dean wondered. Well, he should have expected it. After all, Cas was Henry's first. Dean was going to have to learn to share. Dean moved back, and Henry situated himself in front of Cas. He rubbed his eyes with two tiny fists before looking up at Cas. "'M tired," he mumbled.

Cas held out his bottle of water as he smiled down at Henry. Dean huffed before taking it. Cas wiped his wet hand on his pants and said, "Of course, you are," before picking him up. Cas ended up with one arm behind Henry's thighs and a hand on the back of his head. Henry sighed into Cas's neck. Dean knew he was just as surprised as Cas that Henry lasted this long. Henry was awake since four this morning and the two of them by extension. And the sun was getting closer to the ground now. "He's probably going to want to lie down," Cas told them. "So, I'm going to get a blanket."

"Sounds like a good idea," Jess said. "Night, Henry."

"Night, Aunty Jess," Henry mumbled into Cas's neck, and they all chuckled.

"Bye," Cas huffed and started to turn but stopped when Henry removed his head from his neck.

Henry twisted around and looked at Dean. "Dad," Henry said with a little pleading slipping into his voice.

Dean sighed. "You and Cas go ahead. I'll finish my drink--" he held up the beer bottle, "--and meet you guys there." Henry nodded before finding Cas's neck again. Cas continued on his way, and a smile edged its way on Dean's face as he watched them walk away, when Cas's started lowly humming.

"Henry sure does love him," Jess said from behind him as Cas accepted the blanket from the other blonde in a plain dark-red summer dress with black leaves dotting it. Unlike Jess, his mom's hair was in a ponytail.

"Yeah," Dean said as Cas handed Henry over to his mom to open the blanket and spread it out next to an oak tree. Dean whirled around and took a gulp of his beer. He better finished it now before Henry started yelling for him to hurry up. "What?" Dean asked when they were looking shyly at him.

"You look happy," Jess finally said.

"Not you guys, too," Dean groaned. "I get it. I haven't been this happy in a long time. And I know you're all happy for me, but I don't need to hear it from everyone of you. I know I'm happy. How can I not know I'm happy when I've been waking up next to him for weeks now? When I come home to him and Henry for weeks now?"

He watched as sappy smiles encompassed their faces. He really did get that they were happy for him. But they were making him feel as if they thought if they didn't remind themselves that he was happy, he was going to lose that. But Dean wasn't going to lose that. He was going to make sure he didn't lose that. And he knew Cas was just as happy as he was, and Cas didn't want to lose this as much as he didn't want to either. Dean wanted them to get that, too.

"You guys sleep in the same bed?" Jess said, eyes brows drawn together. Dean raised an eyebrow at her. That was what she wanted to focus on. At least, it wasn't on how happy he was. "I thought he still slept in his room, and you guys just canoodle during the day."

"Canoodle? Really?" Sam disbelievingly asked, turning his body to look down at his wife. Jess simply shrugged.

"Cas and I kinda got used to being in the same room at night since the hospital, so we sleep in same bed," Dean informed them with a shrug of his own like it was no big deal. Except it was a big deal. Cas didn't just sleep in the same bed--he practically moved into Dean's room. A jolt went through Dean, sparking a new thought. Perhaps the reason they needed the reminder was because they didn't know they things he did--they didn't have any of the verbal or physical proof that Cas was here to stay.

"Cas has his own side of the bed. All his stuff is in my closet--our closet--except his books, those are in his old room. There's another toothbrush in my bathroom, our bathroom, along with another towel. There's also his vanilla scent body wash and shampoo there, which he still buys because he knows I like the smell. There are way to many boxes of Poptarts in my house because he and Henry can't get enough of the stuff. There's almond milk in the fridge because Cas likes it better than regular milk, and I do, too. There actually tea in my house because Cas hates coffee. We spend a lot of time watching animal documentaries because Cas is obsessed with them, and now Henry is, too." Dean took a deep breath and continued, "We say 'I love you' to each other at least twice a day. We're just as bad as the two of you."

His giant moose of a brother was gaping at his with shifting emotions on his face: from disbelief to happiness to hope. Jess, on the other hand, looked close to getting misty eyed. Dean was wishing she went back to telling them how happy she was instead of crying. He had enough tears from his mom and Charlie. He guessed it was better than the punches to his arm he got from both Hervelles.

"I know this may seem fast--" Dean tried to say but was cut off.

"So, what?" Jess fervidly stated. "You love him and he loves you." Her voice wavered a little on the last part. "If you want him close, then keep him close. Why should you worry about what other people think? It's not their relationship." Sam moved in closer and held her tighter with a determined face to match her own. "No-one from our family is going to judge you for that. You're certainly not going to get shit from the two of us. We know what's it's like to have people judge your relationship. If this is what you and Cas want and is comfortable with, then I'm happy for you--both of you." Tears had finally welled up but refused to spill.

"Me, too," Sam ardently stated. "He makes you and Henry happy, and that's all we can ask for. And if having him move into your room makes the two of you happy, then I don't see a problem with that."

"Henry would happier if Cas moved into his room," Dean joked, voice hoarse, drowning in the love he felt for the two standing in front of him. He could always count on the two of them to have his back. He got two meek smiles in response. "Thanks," Dean added.

"You don't have to thank us," Jess assured him.

"I know, but still," Dean said. "And I better get over there before Henry comes looking for me." That got a bigger smile from Jess and a chuckle from Sam. Dean drowned the last of his beer and handed the bottle to Sam when he held out his hand. "I'm gonna go now because I'm tired, and Cas is really comfy." Dean winked at Jess before turning around and walking over to Cas and Henry, Jess' laugh ringing behind him.

"Hi," Cas greeted him when he got there. Cas was on his back with Henry spread out like a starfish on top of him and one arm draped across his back. The other arm was at his side, next to the empty space, waiting. Dean smiled down at him.

"Hey," Dean greeted back then added, "Is he sleeping?"

"Yeah," Cas answered. "Fell asleep as soon as we lay down." Dean nodded his head, toed off his black sneakers and joined them. He let out a sigh when he was finished situating himself: right leg over the left, one arm behind his head, and fingers of the other hand laced with Cas's fingers. As much as Dean wanted to sleep, this was the first time today Cas and he were truly alone. And as much as he loved just lying here and being closed to Cas, he wanted to talk to Cas, wanted to hear his gravelly voice.

While racking his brain for something to talk about, Dean ran his tongue over his teeth, tasting the lingering traces of beer. "Hey, I don't think I've ever asked why you don't drink." Cas stilled, and Dean momentarily panicked, thinking he asked the wrong thing, before sighing.

"That is a long story," Cas tiredly said.

"We don't have to," Dean quickly told him.

 

"True," Cas agreed, "but I want to tell you." Cas took an a big gulp of air--Henry made no protest about being elevated, just kept on peacefully sleeping--then slowly released it. "Before I can tell you why I don't drink, I have to tell you about how my dad died." Now, it was Dean time to tense. Cas tightened his fingers around his. Dean lifted their joint hand and moved closer to Cas until they were pressed together, his legs no longer crossed. He rested their joint hands on both their thighs. Dean wanted to tell him that he didn't need to, but he knew Cas was going to, and the need to know was too great.

"My dad died when it was nineteen," Cas started by saying, and Dean couldn't stop the grasp that came out. He had always assumed Cas's father died later on in his life, not that early. "He had a weak heart or congestive heart failure, CHF, as the doctors call it. His heart couldn't pump enough blood. He had it for close to a year, and he never told anyone. We only found out when he collapsed one day and was rushed to the hospital. His heart was failing." Cas's voice faltered a bit, so Dean caressed his hand with his thumb. "He joked about how his heart had never being the same since mom passed, and it was only about time before he joined her. All his kids were grown up, and they no longer needed him." Cas gravely chuckled. "We got so angry at him for not telling us sooner, but he said his condition was already severe, and there was nothing anyone could do. Then we got angry at ourselves for not noticing something sooner." Cas paused to take another deep breath, and Dean's heart chipped because of how much forced Cas needed to use. "He died a few days later with all of us by his bedside. After the funeral, I went back to school, and that was when I started drinking--when I started blaming myself." Dean was starting to see why Cas hated hospitals. No-one would have pleasant feelings about a place where they were forced to watch a loved one died.

"Cas--"

"I know," Cas cut him off. "I know I shouldn't blame myself, and he told me not, but I did. I kept thinking if I had stayed and went to a local college, I could've been there to take care of him. I could've been there to not make him feel all alone, and that he had someone. But I couldn't. Because Anna and I went off to college. Balthazar and Gabriel were off living in New York. Michael and Lucifer were busy opening their practice. I couldn't help him, so I started drinking to help me deal with my father's death. I used to get so drunk most day, but I never saw it as a problem. I told myself it was part of the college experience, and everyone did it. And why should it be a problem? I made it on time to all my classes, hungover, of course, and did well. So, obviously, it wasn't a problem."

Cas humorously chuckled. "I didn't think it was a problem until grad school--until I met Eric," Cas said in a hushed voice. Dean tensed, and Cas squeezed his hand. Cas also started rubbing the sole of Dean's foot with his foot, causing Dean to relax. "I had decided to go to grad school at Harvard because there really was no point in going somewhere else. I got accepted and decided to spend my summer there. One week into my vacation, I met Eric at a bar, surprise there. We started talking, and we hit it off, so we started dating. And he started feeding my addiction. When normal couples when on dates to restaurants and the movies, we went to bars and clubs. Even when we stayed in, we had enough alcohol to last us a week, but it was gone in two-three days time--partly because of me alone. When we were out of bars and clubs in Massachusetts, we moved on to other places--New York. We've spent a couple of weeks there, and I let him convince me it was a good idea not to tell my brother I was even there."

As Cas's voice got more morose and guilty, the rage building in Dean burned hotter. He really wanted to hunt this Eric down amd strangle him for doing that to Cas, making him lie to his brothers. "I knew I should've told them I was there, but I didn't," Cas continued. "I just continued following him around. After summer, we moved in together, and I started grad school. Unlike undergraduate, I was missing classes and doing poorly, but I didn't change. A little over a month into grad school, I woke up in the hospital. I was admitted for alcohol poisoning. Eric and I were drinking again, and I had too much alcohol in a very short amount of time. Eric got me to the hospital in time and just left me there. He didn't stick around to see how I was doing or anything." Cas cleared his throat before continuing. "The hospital got in contact with Michael, and he got in contact with everyone else. I woke to all of them surrounding my bedside, looking just as devastated as when dad died. I vowed then and there to never touch another drop of alcohol...After I got the hospital, I kicked Eric out and put all my attention into school and have been sober and single ever since... And it wasn't until later that I found out Eric was cheating on me since the beginning. I was just too drunk and in love to see it...So, there's the reason why I don't drink."

The rage in the pit of Dean's stomach was a full blown wild fire by this point. All of his rage was aimed at Eric, whose mettle Dean could surmise for what little he knew, for what he did to Cas. Most of his rage was centered around the fact that this guy almost cost him Cas. Dean could have lost Cas, the one person responsible for the happiness he was feeling. Thinking about how he could have lost the man next to him had Dean holding onto his hand with more force than necessary. Cas didn't utter a word at the increase or force.

"I'm sorry that happened to you," Dean gritted out, trying to rein in his anger and loosening his grip on Cas's hand. "And I'm sorry about your dad."

"Thank you," Cas softly said. "I miss him a lot, but I finally stopped blaming myself for his death. His condition was common and could've happened to anyone." Cas snorted then continued, "As for Eric, he taught me to be more careful choosing those I want to be a part of my life. And because of that I have met some really great people--you and Henry included."

The warmth the last part elicited helped combat his anger. "You're pretty great yourself, and we happy you're part of our lives, too," Dean said, looking up the sky that was now more purple and blue than orange and red. Cas rubbed Dean's sock clad foot as an answer. "And I know what it's like to drink to forget your problems." It took a lot for Cas to talk about his father and a major past mistake, and it was only fair that Dean returned the favor.

"Hmm?" Cas hummed.

Dean sighed and asked, "So, what do you know about my past?"

Cas took in a small gust of air through his mouth, but being so close, it was piercing. "Not much," Cas admitted.

Incredulity swept through Dean faster than he anticipated. "You don have to lie to me, Cas. I know you know," Dean sighed.

"I know you have been left three times by people you really cared about," Cas told him, "but I figured that out. No-one told me, and I didn't ask your family because it wasn't my place to asked, and it would be too painful for them to talk about."

"Okay," Dean agreed, "but I'm pretty sure you had at least heard people talk about me."

"I did," Cas said, "but I am also the child of a single father, and I know not to believe everything I hear. I've spent a good chuck of my life listening to rumors about my father that were never true like which child is actually his to how he was more of a tyrant than a father. And even if some of the things I heard were true, I wouldn't have believed them because they were coming from an outside source, not from you. They weren't there and didn't know what truly happened. Besides, humans have this habit of twisting the truth to their liking."

"Thank you for not listening," Dean fervently stated. Dean felt Cas lean his head against his and Dean turned his head slightly, eyes still skyward.

"You don't have to thank me," Cas solemnly said. "I dislike rumors and have no intention in helping them spread."

Dean weakly chuckle. "Do you want to know the real truth?"

"Only if you want to tell me," Cas responded, sounding earnest, but Dean could sense his desire to know. Henry and he were alike in that aspect: wanting to know as much as they possibly could.

Dean nodded his head and said, "Okay. First off, you should know that I had a reputation before all of this. I was the bad boy of the town. I was the guy who sat in the back off the class room and never did anything. Never hand in anything, cut class and bad-mouth the teachers. I would rather cut class and make out with some girl behind the school. Because of all that, everyone believed I wouldn't amount to anything, wouldn't graduate, wouldn't get a job--wouldn't get into a committed relationship. They were shock when I did graduate. Everyone believed I slept with one of my teacher. They never bothered trying to find that I worked my ass off senior year to graduate because mom always wanted to see me graduate high school. I did it for her and not me."

By this time, Cas's big toe was caressing the skin under Dean's ankle, just where he liked it. "After I graduated," Dean continued, "my dad finally gave me a full time job at the body shop. And my reputation followed me there. People kept saying how they knew I couldn't get into any college, and my dad was forced to give me a job. The girls in town would come up to me in bars because they wanted a good time and wasn't looking for anything, which was fine by me because I wasn't looking for anything either." Dean stopped to take a breath. A whiff of vanilla had him smiling. "That came back to bite me in the ass when I met Lisa. She was new in town and a waitress at _Milton's_. I went in there one day for lunch, we really hit it off. During the whole time I was talking to her that day, I couldn't help but think how similar this was to how mom and dad met. After lunch, I got her number, and we went out that night. We started dating. And I really thought I found the one. She was beautiful, smart, funny, and my family liked her. Well, except Sam, he didn't like her that much."

Dean was surprised his voice didn't crack once. It could be that he was finally letting go of the past. "We were doing so good," Dean glumly stated. "And then she started getting distant. Turns out, a friend was telling her about how I was in high school, and before she came here. Her friend told her I was just using her for sex, and she wasn't the only one I was sleeping with. I expected Lisa to be smart enough to know that wasn't true, but she believed her friend and dumped me. I told her it wasn't the truth and begged her to take me back, but she said she didn't know if she could trust me." It was Cas's turn to grip tightly onto Dean's hand. "That was when I turned to alcohol." The grip intensified. "I kept thinking what was wrong with me that no-one wanted to date me. I kept thinking about all may past failed relationships, and I kept drinking. It got to the point where I went to bed drunk every night woke up and drank so more. I was even sneaking drink at work. I stopped the day my mom asked, tears streaming down her face, if I was so hell-bent on having her bury me." Dean's voice finally cracked, and he turned his face more. "So, I stopped drinking for a while, and now only drink occasionally and when he have family events or when the rest of us go to the bar."

Dean exhaustedly sighed then bitterly said, "The way I felt after Lisa left was nothing compared to when Jennifer left." Dean brought their joint hands up, kissed the back of Cas's hand, and rested their hands on his chest. "Close to two years later, I met Jennifer, around the same time Charlie and Gilda came to Lawrence. I instantly fell for her, but she wouldn't give me the time of day. She finally noticed me the day my dad handed over the impala to me. Said I earned it for staying sober and dedicating myself to working at the body shop. She came up to me one day and started talking cars with me, and the next I knew, I had a date with her. She was a little high-strung, but I was too happy that he wanted to date me. We started dating, and I went along with what she wanted. If she wanted to go to a fancy restaurant, we went to one. If she saw something she wanted, I bought it for her no matter the price.

Dean kissed Cas's hand again, needing the extra contact. "We were happy," Dean grimly chuckled. "And I was over the moon when she told me she was pregnant. I never realized how much I wanted a kid until it was a possibly. Jen, on the hand, wasn't so thrilled. She couldn't believe she was pregnant after we had been so careful. She eventually calm down, and I should've noticed how she calmed down with every gift I bought her, but I was going to be a dad. That was all I really cared about. I was going to be a dad, and I needed a better place to live in. So, I took the money my grandfather left me and bought a house, an old run down house. It didn't cost much, but I knew the rest of the money would go into making it a house I wanted--a house I used my two hands to build. As the house was getting built, Jen was getting distant, and I blamed it on hormones. She was actually upset that all my money was going into building the house and buying stuff for the baby, and not her. I thought when the house was finished and they baby was here, she would be happy again."

Dean smiled wanly. "February seventh," Dean softly whispered. "A week after the house was completed, Jen went into labor, and Henry was born. I spent hours at the maternity ward just staring at him until the nurses actually let us hold him. The nurse handed him to Jen, and she just looked at him then looked at me. 'You wanted it so much, so there,' she said and held him out to me. She told she never really wanted a kid and only stayed with me was because she thought I would marry her, so she could get her hands on my money. Now that I was broke and that _thing_ was out of her, she didn't need me anymore. I begged and pleaded with her, but she didn't even care. She signed over her rights, and I never saw her again. And yet again, I blamed myself. I thought, if I had paid more attention to her, she wouldn't have left me. She wouldn't have felt like I didn't care about her. I would've married her, but I was too busy with the house and preparing for a baby... I completely ignored that fact that she was just with me for my money. I wanted so badly to go back to drinking, but I knew it would kill my mom, and I couldn't drink and raise a child. Henry was the only thing that saved my life that time and every time after that."

"Dean," Cas brokenly whispered.

"For a long time, I beat myself up about her leaving me," Dean went on, "that I forgot how anger I was with her. Since the beginning, she was using me to get to my money. She never loved me or even cared about me." Dean could feel his rage from earlier returning. "She never once cared about that baby growing inside her," Dean harshly whispered. "She called our son an  _it_ and just handed him over to me and never looked back. It's like she didn't carry him for nine months." Dean fully turned his head and looked down to his son. One of Henry's hand had a fist full of Cas's shirt. His mouth was slightly opened, and Cas should except a wet spot pretty soon, if not already. Henry's face was smoothed out, not a crack or crease for discomfort or age. He was untouched by the world and a lot of those in it. And Dean would like to keep it that way. All of the rage in Dean disappeared like smoke from a person breath on a cold winter's day. "The best thing to ever happen to me, and she couldn't care less," Dean gently said. Dean used his free hand to run it through Henry's hair. Henry didn't even stir. Dean smiled at his son. "Now, I'm happy she gave him up. I would've never want my son anywhere near her. And I know people talk about him not having a mother, but he has a group of great women who would gladly give all the motherly affection he could ever want." Dean his head back to look at Cas and smirk. "And he has you to tell him to eat his vegetables and worry over him not wearing enough sunscreen."

Cas dimly smiled back. Dean felt a sharp prick to his heart. Cas was not supposed to look so ashen. His dark-blue eyes were not meant to so dark or surrounded by red. His angel's face was not supposed to have so many cracks and creases. But Dean needed to say all of this. He needed someone else to now, and he was so grateful it was Cas. And he needed his past to no longer linger between them. "Then came Cassie," Dean resumed. "She was just traveling through, and she got my attention faster than the other two and had a stronger hold over my heart than the other two. I ended up sleeping with her the first night I saw her, and as much as we could the two weeks following that. Henry was one at the time but was still having trouble sleeping through the night, so we never actually had any dinner dates, only lunch dates, but that wasn't enough. After two weeks, she told me she was leaving. She told me she really cared about me and knew where we were heading, but she wasn't ready for a family and didn't know if she would ever be ready. She was having a hard with the situation we were in then. She wished my look and took a bus out of Lawrence."

"There," Dean tiredly said, "that's my story."

"Thanks for telling me," Cas hoarsely said.

"I was going to tell you eventually," Dean admitted. "It just happened sooner that I expected, but I'm glad it did. I feel better telling someone that isn't family. I feel even better telling you." Dean did feel lighter. Cas was the first person outside his family that he told any of this to. He just let everyone say what they wanted to about his failed relationships. He had more important things to worry about. And Dean immensely relieved that Cas didn't believe any of the things he heard and waited to hear them from him. A new thought occurred to Dean, and he started chuckling.

"What's so funny?" Cas asked wrinkling his forehead.

"I just realized I have a habit of falling for the stranger in town," Dean grinned, and Cas grinned back, cracks and creases forming on his face for the right reasons.

"And I have habit of falling for guys with stubbles," Cas smirked.

"Really?" Dean said, unlacing their fingers and turning on his side. He forced his now free hand under Cas and draped the other across Henry's back and Cas's arm. He used his nose to gently move Cas face and moved closer until he was was buried in Cas neck. Dean started rubbing his face against Cas's neck.

"Dean," Cas sternly said, and Dean grinned against the tender skin. "Dean, stop moving so much. You're going to wake up Henry."

Dean stopped moved and huffed, feeling particularly smug with himself when Cas shivered. "Tired," Dean mumbled a short time afterwards while pressing soft kisses to Cas's neck.

"Like father like son," Cas said, and Dean could almost picture the eye roll. "Dean," Cas lowly hissed when Dean gently bit his neck.

"Go to sleep, Cas," Dean instructed, fighting back a yawn.

"I can't," he replied. "I have to stay awake, so I can wake up Henry when the fireworks are starting."

"Someone will wake us up," Dean said, finally yawning. "Now go to sleep."

Cas sighed and rested his head on top of Dean's head. "Fine," Cas relented. "Should we expect pictures?"

"Probably," Dean answered, already wondering how many pictures his family was going to take and from how many angles. Cas didn't responded. He removed the arm on Henry back, moved the arm that was between them, and placed it on top of Dean's arm. He then laced their fingers together.

"Might as well give them something to melt over," Cas said, and Dean grinned into his neck, letting the scent of vanilla and the thoughts of how to subtly get his family to send him the pictures lull him to sleep.

~~~✴~~~

"You're back," Cas said as Dean walked into the kitchen with a white plastic bag containing a carton of french vanilla ice-cream. Cas was sitting on a stool, back facing away from the stove where there was a medium size cast-iron pot and a large skillet on it. The burner under the pot was off. The skillet had large whiffs of smoke coming up, filling the room with a strong, spicy smell. The _Lawrence Journal-World_ was opened in front of Cas, but it was long forgotten. "Where's Henry?" his furrowed brow angel inquired.

Dean fully stepped into the kitchen and walked over to his fridge. "I saw my mom at the store," Dean replied, opening the fridge and taking out the carton from the bag to put into the fridge. "She was getting stuff to make snickerdoodle." Dean closed the fridge and put the plastic bag in the trash. Dean turned around to face Cas, who was also facing him. "Henry wanted to go with her to get some."

"That's nice," Cas said, getting off the stool and walking over to the stove. He picked up the wooden spoon and stirred whatever he had in the skillet then turned off the burner. "Henry really loves snickerdoodle," Cas added, leaving the spoon in the skillet and turning to Dean. Dean couldn't help but grin at his sullen tone.

"Yeah," Dean agreed. "She was going to make them tomorrow but is going to make them tonight for Henry. So, Henry is going to stay over there tonight."

"He must have been excited about that," Cas commented, forcing a smile. Dean loved Cas--he really did--and he loved how much Cas loved Henry, but he was trying to get at something.

"He was," Dean assented and stopped from rolling his eyes just in time. "And he'll be really excited about getting mom to make him pancakes for breakfast _tomorrow_."

"I guess we can sleep in late tomorrow then," Cas told him, smile less forced this time. Either Cas was more out of practice than Dean original thought, or he was doing a terrible job? Looked like Dean was going to have to forgo subtly.

"Yeah," Dean said, "and since they haven't had him for a while, and it's Saturday, I was planning on asking them to watch him the whole day, so we could have time together. _Alone_. Just the two of us. _Alone_. Like we are right now. _Alone_." Dean was going to make sure he fully understood what was happening here. Dean figured he succeeded when Cas's smile went from forced to insanely amused and smug.

"Dean Winchester, are you propositioning me?" Cas smirked.

"Trying to," Dean exasperatedly said, rolling his eyes, but there was a lopsided smile on his face. Cas threw back his head and laugh, and Dean used this opportunity to close the distance between them. He wrapped his arm around the laughing angel and pulled him close. Cas's laugh was reduced to mere chuckles, and Dean molded their mouths together. Dean swiped his tongue gently over Cas's bottom lip, and Cas wasted no time opening his mouth. Dean's tongue dove into Cas's mouth. Cas's had came up to grip the sleeve of the gray and black plaid shirt Dean was wearing. Dean ran his tongue over every surface he came into contact with. Cas's tongue stayed lax and yielding to Dean's eager tongue. During Dean's mapping of Cas's mouth, he found the taste of oranges and a strong, spicy taste, which he believed to be curry.

They finally broke apart, faces inches apart, breaths coming out in harsh puffs, hitting the other's face. Cas's pupils were blown wide, more black than midnight-blue in Cas's eyes. Dean knew there was more black than forest-green in his eyes. The fluorescent light above illuminated Cas's saliva covered lips. The thing that really got Dean's attention was the raw hunger prevalent in his eyes and the set of his jaw. It was good to know Cas wanted this as much as he did.

"Upstairs," Dean huskily said, aiming for questioning but getting pleading in return. Cas enthusiastically nodded his head, looking relieved. As if Dean would kiss him like that and not follow through. Dean quickly removed his arms from around Cas grabbed one of his hands, and steered him out of the kitchen. Every step from the kitchen to the stairs, Dean could feel his jeans getting tighter, making it difficult to walk properly. Every stair added fuel to the burning need inside of his. This was finally going to happen. After weeks of fantasizing about Cas's body, he was finally going to get his hands all over him. Soon he wouldn't have to worry about getting in his way.

When Dean got to the top of the stairs, he quickly turned and dragged Cas with him, Cas's footsteps pattering just as quickly as his were. When they got to their room, Dean let go of Cas's hand and swirled around to face him. Dean used one of his hand to close the door then swiftly crowded Cas up against the door, hands on Cas's hips. Dean mouth latched on to Cas neck, and he sucked hard.

"Dean," Cas roughly hissed, hand cupping the back of Dean's head, keeping Dean in place. Dean hummed his assent. A sudden urge to mark the unblemished skin gripped him, causing his to suck harder as he ran his tongue over the skin in his mouth. His mouth was filled with the unadulterated taste of Cas. Dean knew this wouldn't last last long. The air conditioner in the room could only keep them cool for so long, and after that, Cas's skin would take on that salty taste of sweat. Dean released the skin in his mouth to press small kisses down Cas's neck as he made his way to his collarbone. Once there, Dean alternated between sucking and nipping on the skin. Dean reveled in how labored Cas's breathing was and how tightly Cas was holding onto his hair and digging into his upper arm.

Dean removed his face from Cas's neck and his hands from Cas's hips. His hand gripped two ends of the red t-shirt with the black Chinese dragon Cas was wearing. Cas lifted up his arms, and Dean urgently pulled the shirt off of his. Dean tossed the shirt on the floor as Cas started unbuttoning his shirt with impressively skilled hands. When the last button was opened, Cas pushed back the shirt, and Dean extended his hands back to let the shirt fall off. Cas grabbed his hand and led him to the bed. Cas turned around and sat on the bed, hands grabbing onto Dean's black jeans. All thoughts vacated Dean's head except for the one telling him how much he wanted Cas's hands and mouth on him. Cas unbuttoned his jeans, unzipped him, and pulled his pants down.

And Cas stared at his white boxers. Dean realized something in his dazed state. "Shit," he swore. "I know that I'm big." It wasn't that he was big, per se. He was a little over six inches, which was normal. It was just that...he was thicker. "We don't have to do anything you don't want to do," Dean quickly rushed out upon seeing Cas's confused expression. He was going to tell Cas before all of this happened, but he got distracted. "You can just use your hand, if you want to. You don't even need to use your mouth. And it doesn't have to go anywhere else." Panic was starting to rise up in Dean. All the girls knew what they were getting into. Besides, the opening of a vagina was bigger than that of an anus, so it had never been that big of a problem--until now. And Dean could understand Cas's fear. Most people wouldn't feel comfortable about something bigger than a golf ball going in them.

"Dean," Cas sharply said, snapping him out of his panic mode. Cas had an eyebrow raised, still confused. But Dean couldn't figure out why. "Dean," Cas slowly said, "I have slept next to you for weeks now. I have woken up to that--" he pointed to Dean's tented boxer, "--pressing up against me, though not fully erect. Point is, I knew you were thicker than average." Cas broke eye contact with him and pulled his boxer down. "I don't get why you're surprised." He use one hand to hold Dean's throbbing erection and guide it to his mouth.

"Shit," Dean swore again when the head of his cock was engulfed by a wet and warm mouth. Dean grabbed the back of Cas's head when Cas swirled his tongue around the tip in his mouth. Cas cast his eyes up at Dean and slowly took more of Dean's length into his mouth. Dean gripped Cas's hair tighter to stop himself from forcing his entire length down Cas's throat. Cas stopped when more that 3/4 of Dean's cock was in his mouth, and slowly pulled back, running his tongue under Dean's length. "Fuck," Dean said, and Cas grabbed his ass with both of his hands and took more of his cock into his mouth. Cas repeated the process, going down of his cock fast than coming up slow. Finally, Cas took Dean's entire length into his mouth, nose pressing into the thick mass of hair at the base of Dean's cock, and stayed there.

Cas stared up at Dean, and Dean stared back. Dean couldn't believe Cas took all of him in. Cas pulled back fast this time and went back down just as fast then stuck to that pace, never once breaking eye contact. Dean wanted to throw his head back and show Cas how much this was was affecting him, but he could break eye contact with Cas. So, Dean settled for gripping his hair tighter and guiding his mouth. Pretty soon, Dean could feel heat pooling at the base of his stomach, causing it to constrict a little. He knew he would last longer, so he might as well warn Cas. "Cas," Dean gutturally said, and Cas pulled off his cock completely. Dean wanted to protest at the loss of wetness and warmth, but he was too enthralled with the pre-cum on the side of Cas's mouth.

"Lube," Cas throatily said.

"What?" Blood rushed back to Dean's brain.

"Lube," Cas said again.

"You sure?" Dean asked and got an inpatient look as his answered. Dean tilted his head in the direction of the of the night stand on the other side of the bed. "Bottom drawer," he said. Cas scooted back, and Dean and stepped out of his jeans and boxer and followed him onto the bed, kneeling in front of Cas. Cas lay on his back and reached for the bottom drawer while Dean unbuttoned his black jeans and pulled his jeans and boxer off, tossing it on the floor with his clothes. Dean eyed Cas's erection, which was about the same length of his but less thick. After some rummaging, Cas pulled his hands back, holding a white bottle of squirt-able lube and a condom.

Cas looked at the bottle in hand and frowned. "We're going to need to get some water based lube after tonight," Cas said, and Dean's cock twitched. They weren't even done with right now, and Cas was thinking about later one. Cas dropped the condom on the bed and spread his legs. "Hand," Cas commanded, using his elbows to prop him up.

Dean arched an eyebrow. "Are you always this bossy in bed?" Dean teased.

"Not really," Cas simply stated. "Now, do you want to fuck me or not?" Dean's mouth dried out, and his dick was painfully hard now. The smirk on Cas's face told him Cas knew what he was doing to him. Cas seemed so tamed, but now, he looked impatient and needy as fuck. "Dean," Cas said again, a little pleading bleeding into his tone. Dean was struck with the urge to take care of Cas.

"You sure do want this," Dean whispered.

"I like sex," Cas said. "But I haven't wanted it this much in a very long time or wanted it with someone this much." The confession had Dean offering his hand and watching a pleased smile erupt on Cas's face. Cas squirted some lube on Dean fingers then dropped the bottle. He then used his free hand to coat Dean finger. Cas dropped back onto the bed and spread his legs wider. Dean used his slick index finger to find Cas's hole then slowly pushed his finger in. Cas was tight and just as abnormally warm there as he was everywhere else. Cas tensed for a second. "Forgot how weird that feels at first," Cas informed him as he gripped onto the light-blue bedsheet.

Dean nodded, even though Cas's had his eyes closed, and continued. He never did this with a guy before, but he figured it could be that far off from fingering a girl. "Fuck," Cas swore when Dean curled his finger, and Dean stopped again. He could really get used to hearing Cas swear. Dean pulled his finger out then added two of them, slowly inserting and pulling out his fingers, enjoying the way Cas stretched around his fingers and the way Cas arched off the bed. "Dean, I'm ready," Cas rasped.

"You sure?" Dean asked. Cas opened his eyes and nodded. Dean pulled out his finger and grabbed the condom. He ripped the black packaging. He rolled on the condom with practiced ease. Dean then grabbed the lube and squirted a large amount into the palm of his hand before dropping the bottle onto the bed. Dean lathered up his cock and position himself at Cas's entrance. "Ready?" Dean asked, and Cas nodded again. Dean pushed the head of his dick in while he surveyed Cas's face for any discomfort. Cas tensed for a second before going completely lax. Dean hissed when the head of his dick pushed past Cas's ring, and the rest of his dick easily slipped in. Cas felt tremendously better around his erection than he did around his fingers. Cas was hotter and tighter around his cock. Dean decided he could go a little more and pushed until his pelvis was flushed against Cas's ass.

"Fuck," Cas swore and let go of the bed sheet to grip onto Dean's arm. "Dean, move," Cas commended, and Dean could really get used to this needy and bossy Cas. Dean, not needed to be told twice, slowly started to fuck Cas, using his hold on Cas's spread thighs to fully sheath himself with evey push. Dean roughly moaned when Cas clenched down on his length as he slowly pulled out. Cas was already wrapped tight around his cock; He didn't need to add more pressure. Dean was hardly going to complain.

"Do that again," Dean requested as he pushed back into Cas, and Cas did as requested. Dean continued to slowly thrust into Cas.

"Faster," Cas breathed out as his nails dug into Dean arm. Dean marginally increased his pace, and Cas no longer clenched around him. "Dean, I'm not like most girls. You can afford to be a little rougher with me."

"You sure? I don't want to hurt you," Dean told him.

"Dean," Cas whined as he slackened his hold on Dean arm. As much as Dean loved how desperate Cas was for him, he didn't want to deny his angel anything, so he greatly increased his pace. Dean roughly thrusted into Cas, every push taking Cas farther up the bed. Cas moaned low in his throat with ever thrust and pushed himself down to meet every one of Dean's thrust. Dean was more focused on the moans escaping his throat with every thrust and every time his balls hit against Cas's ass. It didn't matter that Cas was no longer adding pressure to his dick because, with how fast he was going and how tight Cas was, Dean felt euphoria coursing through him.

The gripping sensation returned to his arms. "Right there," Cas breathlessly said. Dean pulled out so that the head of his dick was the only thing left in then slammed back into Cas at the angle he wanted. Cas arched off the bed lowered back down, dropped his arms to the side of himself, and gripped the bed sheet. Dean continued ramming into Cas, reveling in how he reduced the man before him into a writhing mess. His dark brown hair was plastered to his forehead and his chest was irregularly expanding and contracting, but he continued to meet every one of Dean's thrust.

Dean felt his stomach tighten and his ball constrict, and he knew he was close. Dean removed one of his hands from Cas's thigh. He didn't look to see if he left a palm print--he was sure he did. Dean took Cas's painfully red erection in hand--ignoring how strange it felt to have someone else's penis in hand--and started jerking Cas off, not once faltering in his thrusts.

"Dean," Cas loudly cried out and came, squirting cum all over his stomach and up to his chest--and Dean's hand. The tightening of Cas's hole had pushed Dean closer to his release. With one finally push, Dean came hard, feeling his erection pulsating, stretching Cas wider with every shot of cum. Dean collapsed on Cas. Their expanding chest smeared the cum on Cas's front on both of them. Dean didn't care. He was too blissed out to care about anything right now.

Dean hummed when a hand started carding through his hair. Dean figured he could stay for a little more, just until they got their breathing under control. Neither said anything, enjoying the closeness. Dean finally used his arms to pushed himself off of Cas. Dean pulled out his soften cock, removed the condom, and tied the end of it. He dropped it onto the floor. He would pick it up later. Dean reached back and picked up the first clothing he could find, which turned out to be Cas's black boxer-brief. Dean whipped off the cum on his hand and front then turned to Cas, who was now lying on their pillow with a extremely pleased smile on his face. Dean let his smugness take over his face as he whipped the cum off Cas. Dean tossed the dirty underwear over his shoulder and lay down next to Cas. Cas turned his back to Dean, and Dean forced one hand under Cas's waist and one over his waist and pulled Cas flushed against him.

"We really needed that," Cas tiredly said as Dean's face found his neck. They were both overly heated and sweating. And Dean wouldn't have it any other way.

"Yeah," Dean breathed into his neck. "When do we get do it again?" Dean pressed his groin to Cas ass to show empathize.

Cas laughed as he rested an arm on the one over his waist, lacing their fingers together. "We still haven't had dinner yet," he pointed out.

"Nap first--" Dean yawned into Cas's neck, "--then dinner and sex later."

"Sounds like a plan," Cas said then yawned. Dean thought it was a really good plan.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I probably won't respond to any comments because I will be hiding under a rock somewhere because I can't believe I just wrote that. 
> 
> I decided to make Cas a little hypersexual because Dean's likes sex, so he should have someone who likes sex, too. And Cas looks like he likes sex. so, why not? Right?
> 
> Thanks for reading. 
> 
> Now, to find a suitable rock.


	12. Variable: Unexpected

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two planned surprises, one clearly unplanned and one that didn't go quite as planned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter would have been up sooner, but I got sick (I still don't know how), and I spent a lot of time sleeping. Sorry. Damn immune system. 
> 
> Enjoy.

Dean was ninety percent sure he was making a hole in the floor. He knew there was no reason to panic, but he couldn't help it. It was like three years ago all over again. Only this time, he was on the outside looking in, and it was gnawing at his insides to do something... anything.

"Dean," came a sharp voice. Dean whirled around to look at the dark-haird man sitting on the sandy colored couch. The stern features of the man in white jeans and an plain orange t-shirt softened. "Stop," Cas softly said, "you pacing is giving all of us a headache."

The older blonde next to him in dark-blue jeans and a black t-shirt looked up from the _People_ magazine in her hand. The blonde next to her, wearing a black tank top and light-blue jeans, snorted. And Dean glared at Jo then at Cas. He was pretty sure pacing couldn't give anyone a headache. The older Winchester, sitting next to Cas, sighed before getting out of his chair to stand next to the bookshelves. His dad crossed his arms over the blue and black plaid shirt he was wearing and not so subtly looked at him then at the empty chair.

"You need to stop worrying," his dad exasperatedly said. "It's only been an hour since Andrea went into labor." Dean tiredly sighed, walked over to the chair and plopped down on it. Dean knew his dad was smirking at him, but he didn't care when Cas took his hand, helping him to relax a bit.

"And Dr.Hansen and Jess are with her, not to mention Benny," Cas added. "And I'm certain he's worrying enough for the rest if us." Dean minutely nodded his head, bouncing his knee up and down. Dean knew he had nothing to worry about, but he couldn't stop thinking about what could go wrong. Benny was his family--a brother to him. Dean would hate to see anything happen to his wife or their daughters.

Dean's eyes traveled to the couch opposite them. Ash was on the side closer to him. He was wearing a black t-shirt with some emo looking rocker on it and black Jeans. He was studiously staring at the iPad in his hand. Charlie was on the other side of the couch, wearing light-blue jeans and a dark-gray t-shirt with a black knight on it. Charlie didn't even play chess. Like Ash, she also had her iPad with her. But Dean's focus was more on the the kid sitting between them. Henry had on a white t-shirt with blue sleeves and dark-blue jeans. He was barefoot because he didn't want to wear his sneakers any longer. Henry would alternate between looking at both screens.

"He's going to hurt his neck like that," Dean commented.

"I know," Cas replied in a sad, matter-of-fact tone. But neither made a move to remediate the problem. Henry would be upset with them if they disrupted him.

"It's wouldn't hurt them to move a little closer," Dean irritatingly said.

"Physically, no. Their pride, yes," Cas mused. Dean rolled his eye. Then suddenly, there was Cas phone in front of him. It was opened to his messages, and the name on the screen said, 'Charlie.'

_Charlie: How do u stop a hag_

Before Dean could respond, the phone was pulled away. After a couple of taps, Cas presented the phone again. This time the message was from Ash.

_Ash: wat the hell is a hag_

Dean let out a boisterous laugh that startled everyone in the waiting room. Henry frowned at him, and Charlie and Ash had raised eyebrows, prompting him to laugh harder. Cas had his head bowed, and Dean knew it was to keep himself from laughing at them, and to keep from giving anything away. Dean couldn't believe they still haven't figured it out yet.

"What's so funny?" his dad asked, and Dean shook his head.

"Nothing," Dean smiled at his confused father. And his moustache and beard was getting bigger. "You need to shave," Dean said and heard his mother snort.

"You're one to talk," his dad retorted. Dean glared at his father. Sure, his facial hair grew out a bit, but his wasn't as bad as his dad, and he was going to shave today. Except his mom woke them up at six, saying how Andrea went in labor. Cas huffed next to him, and Dean swerved his head to look at him.

Dean cocked an eyebrow and whispered, "I heard no complaint last night." Cas kept his head down, but Dean could see the blush painted on his cheek. Cas meticulously typed his response. Dean smirked at the red-faced man. Ever since they had sex a month ago, Cas and he had tried to fit in as much alone time as they possibly could, which wasn't an easy feat if one had a three-year-old underfoot. And Dean was extremely grateful for what time they had alone because Cas wasn't kidding when he said he liked sex. Dean lost count the amount of times they had sex. Granted, he was a little guilty after the first time for being so rough with Cas, especially when Cas winced when they sat down for dinner. But Cas assured him he really didn't mind, and he really enjoyed it. And to show how much he liked it, Cas dragged him to their bedroom after dinner, pushed him down onto their bed, and impaled himself onto Dean's dick. Dean lay there watching the pure ecstasy on Cas's face as he vigorously fucked himself on his dick. After that, Dean worried less about hurting Cas and more on giving back to Cas as much as he was giving to him.

Cas finished typing his answer to his two students across from him and squeezed Dean's hand. "That should keep them occupied for now," Cas whispered to him, looking him in the eyes. Dean really loved how dark Cas's eyes could get sometimes, much like the night sky. 

"Or you could've told them and let them fight over who gets to have your help," Dean teasingly whispered back and got another squeeze. The two in front of him hadn't taken their eyes off their screens.

"And ruin Henry's fun? Never," Cas amusedly said. "Besides, if it comes down to a choice, which I doubt it ever will, I'll choose Sam."

Dean's heart constricted a tiny bit. "Really?"

"Yeah," Cas softly said. "He's the only one that does some research. He only asks for my help when he wants to weed out all the false information he finds online. And we actually talk about other things. I mean, I do talk about other things with the two of them but less frequently."

"What do you two talk about?" Dean asked while he basked in the knowledge that his brother and Cas were getting along better than he had thought.

"Surprisingly, a lot of our conversation has been about you," Cas said.

"What about me?" Dean asked with narrowed green eyes, suspicion winning over confusion.

Cas fondly smiled at him, and Dean warmed slightly. "Just stories from when you were kids."

"Like?" Deam prompted, needing to know what embarrassing stories Sam had told Cas. Cas's smile turned from fond to teasing, and Dean felt dread bubble up inside him.

"Like sneaking out to go to a party and telling your little brother he would only be cool if he covered for you because that was what all the cool kids did?" Cas said with a raised eyebrow, and his mom burst out laughing while his Dad chuckled. He forgot they were there. And it didn't help that Cas was no longer speaking in a quiet voice. And it wasn't his fault Sam was so gullible.

"That was one time," Dean indignantly responded.

"That's because you got caught trying to sneak back in later that night," his mom added, laughter in her voice.

"Throwing rocks at Sam's window wasn't the best plan," his dad added, looking far too amused for Dean's liking. Cas was biting his lip to stop from laughing, and Dean was grateful for that. Though, he had to admit it wasn't his best idea.

"It's not my fault Sam sleeps like the dead," Dean grumble. Dean admitted he wasn't the best sleeper, but Sam could sleep through anything. It was a wonder he was able to wake himself up at all.

"Well, it's not as bad as the time Gabriel tried sneaking in," Cas chuckled. Dean was sure he and his parents perked up at the same time. He wasn't the only eager to know more about Cas. "He sneaked out one night to take this girl, Michelle, to the see some horror movie," Cas explained. "He thought it would add more to the experience if they went at midnight. So, he sneaked out and came home a couples of hours later. The problem was that our neighbor's dog has a habit of coming into out yard at night." A fond smile was forming on Cas's lips. "Long story short, we woke up to a barking dog and Gabriel running around the yard, shouting at the neighbors to control their dog." The three Winchesters started laughing while Cas softly chuckled. "We still tease him about that to this day," Cas added.

Dean was about to say something when he caught movement out of the corner of his eye. Dean looked over to the other couch to see Henry trying get off the couch. He was using his hands to push himself to the edge of the couch. Henry pushed until his two tiny feet touched the tiled floor. Henry ran the little distance between them and rested his two hands on Cas's knees, smiling up at him.

"Cas, I'm hungry," Henry said with a small pout.

"Hungry?" Cas said in mock disbelief, tickling Henry's tummy, making him giggle.

"Yeah," Henry ginned, and Cas let go of Dean's hand, and cold returned to Dean's hand. Henry back up, and Cas got off the couch. Henry automatically opened his arms, and Cas lifted him up before turning around to look at Dean.

Cas arched and eyebrow and asked, "Are you coming?" Dean shook his head. He wasn't all that hungry. Cas nodded his head in reluctant understanding.

"I'll go with you," his mom announced, getting up. "I could use something to eat."

"Me, too," his dad said.

"Count me in," Ash said, and they all turned to face him in time to see him getting up. Charlie was still focusing on her iPad.

"I'll probably go to the cafeteria later," Dean said, and Cas turned to him.

"Okay," Cas simply said, and they left him and Charlie alone. Dean exasperatedly sighed, looking at the red head in front of him before going over to the other couch and plopping himself down right next to her.

"It's disturbing how obsessed you and Ash are with that game," Dean said.

"It disturbing how obsessed you are with old Western movies," Charlie retorted, rapidly tapping at her screen.

"Old Western movies are an American classic," Dean indignantly responded, and Charlie rolled her eyes. He also wasn't obsessed with them. He merely had a strong admiration for them.

"How you convinced Cas to watch them with you yet?" she asked with a slightly amused tone.

"Haven't had the time," Dean replied. All the free time he had was focused on getting to know Cas. He wasn't ashamed to say most of that time was spent physically getting to know Cas.

Charlie's fingers paused just above her screen before she drew her index finger across the screen. "I guess you wouldn't with work and Henry and all," she said a little defeated.

"Yeah," Dean sullenly agreed. Dean didn't regret the amount of time he spent at work or with Henry. He just wished he had more time in the day to devote to spend time enjoying all the things he loved.

There was a pause before Charlie started talking again. "It's really nice that you're taking things slow."

"What?" Dean said, not prepared for the comment or the onslaught of confusion.

Charlie finally turned to him, confused. Dean refrained from glaring at her. Her confusion was unwarranted. "You and Cas," she stressed. "It's nice that you and him are taking things slow."

"You do know he moved into me room, right?" asked Dean, brows furrowed. _Cas lived with them_. Nothing about their situation could be considered slow.

Charlie rolled those pine-green eyes at him. "Everyone knows that," she huffed. "I mean, when you guys do have time together, you actually go out and do stuff together."

"Why wouldn't we?" Dean asked, confusion burning him from the inside.

Charlie groaned in exasperation. "With Jennifer and Cassie, you guys barely went anywhere. You spent most of the time attached to the other's body when you were together. You and Cas actually go out."

"We went to a lot of places," Dean said, affronted. She snorted and went back to looking at her iPad. "Fine," he relented. "I love being alone with him, but I really love showing him my favorite places around Lawrence. I never really felt that with the rest of them...I always felt like being alone with them was enough." Charlie glanced back at him. "With Cas, I want to show him everything. I want to see if he'll like the same things I did. I even want to see what he'll hate." Dean lightly chuckled. "You know he doesn't like that Mexican place on Frontier Road."

"I can sympathize," Charlie said.

"It's a good restaurant," Dean defensively replied. "It's not my fault my boyfriend had better Mexican food." Weeks ago, the word _boyfriend_ would have been heavy on Dean's tongue, but now, it rolled off his tongue just as easily as Cas's name. Dean had always been used to saying he was someone's boyfriend. Never had he thought he would be the one introducing his boyfriend. Never did he think he would enjoy introducing Cas to other people this much, even if they did receive some sneers and pity looks aimed at Cas. People could think what they want, but he refused to ashamed about himself and especially about Cas.

"I probably should come as a surprise that Cas is a food critic," Charlie laughed then she turned off her iPad and lay it flat of her thighs.

"True," Dean said, adding his own laugh

"I'm still jealous you get to come home to his cooking everyday," Charlie softly grumbled, and Dean laughed harder than before. "Gilda's a great cook and all, but she's better at baking. And Cas just really knows his way around the kitchen."

"I guess I'm just got lucky Cas took after his mom," Dean smiled.

Two eyebrows came together. "I thought he learned to cook from his Dad?" his redheaded sister said.

"He did," Dean answered, "but Cas's dad learned to cook from his mom." That little piece information, Dean learned not to long ago when Cas made his mom's favorite lemon pudding. When Cas's parents were dating, his mom made it a mission to teach his dad how to cook, claiming that the boyfriend of a chef should know how to cook. Dean remembered sitting there with his spoon hanging before his opened mouth. Before that moment, all Dean knew was that Cas's mom had passed away before his dad. Now, Cas was offering him more about the woman, who apparently sparked both Cas and his father's love of cooking, and Dean was being consumed by the love he felt for that man. And Dean happily listened to Cas talk about the foods his mom loved and how she loved experimenting with food. Dean could not only see then how much Cas loved talking about his mom but also how sad he was. Cas had yet to tell him what happened to her, but Dean wasn't in any rush. He was willing to wait for when Cas was ready to tell him.

"He never said anything," Charlie quietly said, more to herself than Dean. Charlie was probably remembering her own mom.

"I think it's hard for him because he had less time with her than with his dad," Dean just as quietly said, his hand finding hers and giving it a squeeze.

"When I told him about my mom, I knew he wanted to talk about his, but he stopped himself," Charlie told him.

"I wouldn't worry about it too much," Dean assured her. "Cas will tell us when he's ready."

"Yeah," Charlie agreed. The sat there in silence for a few minutes, facing forward, before Charlie spoke up. "So--" he already didn't like her tone and turned to face her, "--have you guys had sex yet?"

"Charlie!" Dean squawked, face heating up.

"I'll take that as a 'yes' then," she smirked, causing him to glare at him. "Is he any good?"

Dean merely stared at her, face portraying equal parts disbelief and horror. "We are not talking about this," Dean said, very slowly shaking his head. Some of the horror retracted, but his disbelief stuck.

Charlie smile sweetly and too widely at him. Dean's horror was slowly filling him up again. "What? I just want to make sure my brother is being well taken care of," Charlie said, biting the corner of her lip.

Two could play at this game. If she wanted to know that badly, who was he to deny her that? "Oh, yeah," Dean said, watching confusion overcome her face. "Cas is really good in bed. And I mean _really_ good." Dean could see the exact moment she regretted her decision because she screwed up her face in discomfort. "I'm still surprised we find time to have all the sex we've been having."

"Okay, stop," she snapped. "I'm sorry I asked." Dean unabashedly smirked at her.

"In all seriousness, I wasn't lying."

"Dean!" Charlie cried out and took her hand back, sending him into a fit of laughter.

"What did you do to her?" a voice said, cutting through his laughter. Two head turned to see Sam standing at the entrance to the waiting room, wearing a white and gray plaid shirt and light-blue jeans with three coffees on that cardboard-like cup holder in one hand and a box of doughnuts in the other hand.

"Nothing," Dean answered then added, "You brought doughnuts."

"Cas texted and told me to get some," Sam informed them, walking over to them, while Dean's eyebrows met his hairline. "Said something about how you're probably be too stubborn to go feed yourself." Sam plopped down next to him and held the coffees out. Dean took two of them, passing one off to Charlie. Sam took the last one and placed the holder on the floor next to his foot. Dean widely smirked when Sam handed him the entire box of doughnuts. Dean opened the box to find half a dozen doughnuts: four glazed and two vanilla crème filled ones. Sam must have seen the childish glee on his face because he said, sounding perplexed, "Cas made sure I got at least two glazed and two vanilla crème filled ones."

Dean turned to Charlie and grinned. "See? I'm well taken care of." Charlie rolled her eyes before pushing his face away with her hand. Dean had no doubt he would be well cared for. He knew how caring Cas was. Dean took a glazed doughnut and asked around a mouthful, "Did you hear from Jess?"

"Yeah," Sam answered after a sip of his coffee. "She said Andrea's contractions are still far apart, and they're trying to keep her as relaxed as possible. She also said we probably won't get to see her until after she gives birth."

"She's not in--"

"Jess said everything's good," Sam cut him off. "It's her first pregnancy, and they don't want her to have any unnecessary stress."

"We're not unnecessary stress," Charlie petulantly said, having the decency to finish chewing before talking.

"I'm surprised you can say that with a straight face," Sam said without missing a beat, causing Dean to chuckle. Dean took a sip of his coffee and hummed, surprised. "Cas was also specific about your coffee, so I just had the girl make them all the same." Dean could hear the smile in Sam's voice, and the warmth that coursed through his had little to do with the coffee in his hand. Cas made sure he had something to eat and made sure his coffee was just as strong as he liked it. How could Dean not help but love him a bit more?

"How's Benny holding up?" Dean asked, not wanting to focus on the smirks the two sitting next to him were wearing.

"Like any first time father, he's a nervous wreck, but he's keeping his cool," Sam said. "And Andrea yelled at him." Dean and Charlie snorted, but Dean knew there was more yelling to come. It was a short while later before Sam spoke again. Dean was on his third doughnut by then. "Have you and Gilda talked about kids?" Sam asked.

"Yeah," Charlie answered straight away. "A couple of times actually. The first time was when Henry was born." Dean turned to face her, but she looked straight ahead. "We both decided that we wants kids, but we're not ready yet. Give us a few more years then." The sounded more than reasonable to Dean. Charlie was only twenty-four and Gilda was twenty five. Waiting a few more years would hurt them. Being a Dad now, he could say how important it was to be ready before someone had a child. _Having a child was no easy feat._

"Adoption or a donor?" Sam inquired. Sometimes Dean could help but marvel at how alike Henry and Sam were--needing to know everything. And he meant everything. Dean wasn't looking forward to certain questions. 

"Donor and Gilda," Charlie replied before either of them could asked. "What about you?"

Sam sighed before answering. "Jess and I actually talked about this not too long ago," his brother confessed. "...and she said no."

"What?!" Dean exclaimed, utterly shocked, and Charlie tensed up. Dean always thought Jess was one of those people who always dreamed of having kids. Guess he was wrong. Then Sam smirked. "Bitch.

"Jerk," Sam said. "Well, it wasn't all a lie. She did say not now. Said we should focus on our jobs and paying off our student loans before we think about having kids."

"Good," Dean said, flooding in relief. Dean wasn't ashamed to admit he dreamed of being able to be the doting uncle--and having a miniature version of Sam around wouldn't be that bad. "Just don't try that on Mom."

"Are you crazy? I like my head where it is," Sam seriously said, earning a small laugh from Charlie. "Besides, there's always you and Cas."

"Very funny, Sam," Dean said with an eye roll. Dean had to admit the idea of having a miniature version of Cas had it's appeal, but that wasn't a possibility right now. Dean didn't even know why he was even thinking about this. And he didn't know what he was supposed to do with the knowing look Sam was shooting him, and how suspiciously quiet Charlie was being. "Guys, Cas and I are not about go out and have another kid."

"Well, not right away," Charlie said the same time Sam teasingly said, "Another?" Dean glared at Sam, yet he found no part of him that contested to Henry belonging to the two of them. Sam must have seen that because he smirked back. It was too early to think about any of that.

"I can almost hear you burying whatever your thinking down," Charlie tightly said. "And don't even deny it." Dean quickly shut his mouth.

"We're just messing with you," Sam assured him.

"Not really," Charlie stated, and Dean looked at her. "Maybe about the kids, but not about your future."

"What do you mean?" Dean asked.

 

"Well, I know about the arrangement you guys made when he first moved in, but have you guys talked about when he starts teaching?" she inquired, frowning at him. "He will still be living with the two of you. Have you decided what he's going to contribute?"

"That hasn't even come up yet," Dean defended, a little irritated.

"I know," she simply stated. Now Dean was annoyed and confused. "What I'm getting at is that shouldn't stop you. From what you've have told me, Cas is fully intended on being around for a very long time, so it's more than okay to think about your future with him--and talk to him about it."

"I will," Dean honestly said, "when the time is right."

Charlie turned more to face him, resting on arm on the back of the couch. "Dean, I'm not telling you what to do," she fervidly said. "You can talk to Cas about whatever you want whenever you want; It's not our business. I just don't want you to be scared. I don't want you thinking your going to say the wrong thing and scare Cas away. Because you're going to say the wrong thing eventually, every couple does, but--" she lifted the hand off the couch to stop him, "--Cas isn't going to be scared away. He's too strong to be scared away that easily."

Dean weakly chuckled. "He mentioned how one day were going to piss each other off, and how he wasn't going to just suddenly leave me."

"See?" Charlie smiled.

"It's not that I'm scared," Dean sighed. "It's just that I don't really know how to plan a future with someone. It's just been me and Henry for long time." The coffee in his cup had long gone cold. "I never got that far with Lisa and Cassie. And with Jen, every planning we did was for Henry, not us so much. I don't really know how to structure my life along side someone else's. "

"And Cas does?" Charlie inquired before continuing. "I don't know if you know this, Dean, but Cas has been living with you for the past three months now, and you've done a pretty good job living with him. Just...just talk to him. You're both on the same boat--you're both in this together."

"You and Cas are more alike than you think," Dean mused. "And I will. I shouldn't be scared of talking to him about the big stuff." Cas and he had agreed to take things as they came, but that was at the beginning of their relationship when they getting used to having their feelings being returned, but now they were sure in their feelings for each other. And it was time move forward and look ahead. Cas was a part of his life now, and it was time Dean really, truly showed him that.

~~~✴~~~

It wasn't until two and a half hours later that Andrea finally gave birth. And it wasn't until an half an hour later that they were allowed to see her. So, Dean found himself with Cas, Henry, Charlie, and Sam in a medium size room with Andrea and Benny. The room was painted lime-green with white columns, and had a gray couch on the other side of the room where a large window overlooking the parking lot. They formed an arc around the bed, smiling at the tired women in the hospital bed, who had a white bundle cradled in her arms and dressed in the same white hospital gown with blue diamonds Cas had been in. Her gruff husband was standing next to her, the picture of an proud father, eyes shining.

"Guys," Benny started, voice thick, "this is my daughter, Tatiana Elizabeth Lafitte."

"And Helena Jean Lafitte, named after both our mothers," Andrea finished, smiling down at the olive skinned girl sleeping in her arms.

"Congratulations," Sam said with a smile of his own

"Yeah," Charlie said. "Can I hold her?" Charlie asked Andrea.

"Of course," she answered, and Charlie walked closer to Andrea, who carefully put the baby in Charlie's waiting arms. Charlie started at the baby in her arms with a look of pure adoration, and Dean couldn't help but think Charlie and Gilda will be revisiting the talk they had about kids some time in the future.

"Cas?" Dean heard Benny call out, and Dean looked to the man dressed in black jeans and a dark-gray polo shirt. "Wanna hold her?"

"Absolutely," Cas said and turned to Dean. He handed Henry over, who had a frown on his face, before cradling the baby in his arms. "She's beautiful," Cas said with no small amount of awe in his voice.

"She is," Benny dreamily agreed.

"Hi, beautiful," Cas sweetly cooed, using his index finger to stroke her cheek lightly. A hand gripped his collar the same time an invisible one gripped his heart. Cas was made to be the doting relative, and Dean was sure Anna's kid would be spoiled rotten. Hell, he was more than certain of it, considering how much Cas spoil Henry. "She's so tiny," Cas whispered, pulling his finger back to lightly kiss her cheek.

Henry started squirming in his arms, and Dean put him down. Henry walked over to Cas and started tugging at Cas pants. Cas tore his eyes away from the baby. "Cas, 'm tired," Henry whined then rubbed his eyes. Dean had to bite his bottom lip to stop from laughing. Dean felt a squeeze to his heart when Cas smiled fondly at Henry and handed the baby back to Benny. Cas picked him up and seated him on one of his arms. Both of Henry's hands held on to Cas collar, and Cas frowned at Henry.

Dean would have laughed this time had Benny not interrupted him. "What about you, brotha?" Benny asked with a small smile.

"I'm surprised you're offering," Dean commented. "I held onto Henry for a good hour before I let anyone hold him."

"Why do you think it took you guys so long to see us?" Benny replied with a quirked eyebrows, causing everyone to softly laugh. Dean stepped forward and accepted the little girl. After he had her in his arms, an idea popped into his head. Dean stepped closer to Henry and Cas and watched as Henry eyes got wide, and how he held on tighter to Cas's collar, pulling Cas closer. Dean stepped back and watched Henry relaxed. Dean smirked before stepping back, and Henry gripped tighter onto Cas, pulling Cas closer, and curled into Cas. Dean could hear chuckling from Benny and his wife.

"Henry, nails," Cas winched, but Henry paid him no mind, eyes fixed on the baby in Dean's arms.

Dean stepped back and asked, "What's the matter, buddy? Don't you want to say 'hi' to your cousin?" If looks could kill, Henry's glower would have reduced Dean to a pile of ash. Dean looked over to Charlie to see Sam and her cooing over Helena. "Hey, Charlie, can you come over her for a second?"

Charlie looked up to same time Cas said, "Dean." Charlie frowned but did as he asked.

"Why don't introduce Henry to his cousin?" Dean said.

"Dean," Cas warned, and Dean smiled innocently at him. Cas rolled his eyes only to hiss faintly when Henry's nail dug into his flesh.

"That is so adorable," Andrea cooed. "He's jealous." Dean had to bit down hard on his lip to stop from laughing because he would have surely woken the babies up. Dean should have expected this. Henry got irritated whenever Dean was taking up too much of Cas time. Dean could only imagine how possessive Henry must be feeling now that Cas's attention was on another kid.

Cas took pity on Henry and kissed his temple, lingering there. "Silly little prince," Cas muttered into Henry's temple, and Henry loosened his grip but still held onto Cas's collar and didn't take his eyes off of the baby in Charlie's arms. Charlie, on the other hand, shook her head before going back over to Sam and passing the baby onto him.

Dean tore his eyes away from the two in front of him to gaze at to the bundle in his arms. Cas was right; she was beautiful. She had two tiny, pink, opened slits for lips, the tiniest little nose, and two pudgy little cheeks that were rosy red. She was beautiful, but Dean hardly believed anyone would compare to Henry. Granted, she was as light as Henry was and looked just as breakable. But Dean had nothing to worry because her and her sister had a group of people that would ensure nothing bad ever happened to them.

"I think you better hand her back," Benny said, and Dean's head snapped up. "Henry looks like he's about to take your eyes out." And sure enough Henry's face was set in a glare.

"Uh...yeah," Dean answered, eyes fixed on his son's red cheeks, much redder that Tatiana's. Dean walked over and handed his niece back to her father. The moment she was out of his arms, a hand held onto his shirt. Dean looked from the small fist to his red faced son. It did warm his heart to know Henry wasn't to keen on sharing him as well. Dean shook his head before moving closer. He wrapped his arms around Cas's waist. "You jealous little thing you," Dean said, placing a kiss on Henry's nose.

"Am no," Henry petulantly replied, ducking his head.

"Yeah, you are," Cas laughed.

Henry vigorously shook his head before looking at Cas. "My Cas," Henry ardently said, gripping onto Cas collar. Cas's midnight-blue eys got wide, and Henry set his gaze on Dean. "My daddy," he fervidly said, gripping Dean shirt. Dean's own forest-green eyes got wide.

"Oh my, god," Charlie squealed and was instantly shushed by four different people. "Sorry," she apologized then whispered, "but come on, that was insanely adorable."

Dean knew he had a crazy grin on his face, but he couldn't help it. His son was in fact insanely adorable. Every fiber of his being was warmed from the inside out. Dean had been Henry's since day one. "My Henry," Dean lovingly said with a kiss to Henry's nose, causing Henry to giggle. Henry gave Dean a big grin before looking at Cas expectantly.

"Oh my, god," Charlie whispered, "I can't even."

' _She can't even what?_ ' Dean wondered, confused.

Cas ginned down at Henry before rubbing their noses together. "My little prince," Cas whispered.

Dean was struck with the sudden realization that Henry wasn't the only one he belonged to.

~~~✴~~~

"You okay there, Cas?" Dean asked the man looking out the passenger side window. It was after noon, and Dean was giving Charlie and Gilda a ride home since the two of them came to the hospital with Sam and Jess and not in their own car. The two were in the back seat with a quiet, slumbering Henry. "Cas?" Dean called when he got no reply.

"Huh?" Cas finally said looking at him.

"You okay?" Dean furrowed his eyebrows. Cas was a little lost and distracted ever since they left the hospital. And Dean was extremely proud of himself for not automatically blaming himself, but that didn't stop how worried he got

"Yeah, sorry," Cas said, "I was just thinking about Anna...and my mom." The hand Dean had on the steering wheel tensed.

"Oh," Dean responded, looking at the overhead mirror to see two surprised faces. "What about them?"

"I was thinking about how Anna could've been pregnant with twins since our mom had twins," Cas answered, a little down.

"Oh," Dean said, failing to come up with anything else to say. "You're sad about not being there with her?"

"A little," Cas admitted before smiling a little, "but knowing her, I'll probably get weekly updates about everything from cravings to ultrasounds to what she bought for the baby." Cas frowned for a minute before continuing. "Actually, we talked about this. When I was in Pontiac, she said if she ever got pregnant, we'll video chat as much as possible, so I won't miss anything."

"That's nice," Gilda said. Dean saw out of the corner of his eyes that Cas looked at the mirror and smiled. There was a pause, but Cas's eyes were still on the mirror. Dean looked over and saw Cas was still looking at the mirror, but Dean could tell his focus wasn't on Gilda anymore but the redhead sitting next to her.

"Cas?" Dean called again, a little worried now. Distracted Cas wasn't something he was entirely used to. Cas was always focused on what he was doing.

"Sorry," he said again, eyes still stuck on the mirror, "it's just that childbirth always makes me think more about my mom."

"Did she like kids as much as you do?" Dean asked.

Cas nodded his head, finally looking back at him. "She was the one who convinced my dad to actually have kids in the first place," he told them with a fond smile. "She loved kids, and she especially loved it when kids would come to her restaurant, loved cooking for kids more than adults, and the pickier the kid the better, something about liking a good challenge." Cas smiled, Dean couldn't help smiling along with him. "It's thanks to that love that Anna and I are here today."

"What do you mean?" Dean found himself asking. And he had been thanking a lot of things that had brought Cas into their lives. Why not thank one more?

"Dad wanted to stop after Balthazar, but Mom wanted one more child, and Dad could never deny her anything, so they tried to have one more," Cas replied. "Imagine their shock when they found out they were having two instead," Cas chuckled, and the others joined in. Out of the corner his eyes, Dean could see Cas deflate, and his heart sank. Dean's free hand found Cas's hand, intertwining their finger. "We'll never know if she would've convinced him to have more," Cas continued, and Dean squeezed his hand. Cas took a deep breath and squared his shoulder. Dean hated it, after having gotten so used to seeing a relaxed Cas. "Seeing as she died giving birth to Anna and me."

"What?!" Dean and Charlie exclaimed. A whine from the back seat cut off what followed. Dean glanced at the mirror to see Henry scrunch up his face the same time Gilda started shushing him. Cas started humming, and Henry's face smoothed out, and he went back to breathing evenly again.

"What was that?" Charlie asked, a smile tugging at her lips.

"Cas hums to Henry to try and get him to fall asleep," Dean answered, eyes shifting from the road to Cas's face ever so often and hand crushing Cas's hand.

"I probably shouldn't have sprung that on you guys," Cas softly said.

"No," Charlie and Dean said together, causing Cas to smile.

"No," Dean repeated, "we're glad you told us. We're just surprised since we-I thought your mom died when you were older--it seemed like you mom died when you were older." Dean had originally thought Cas's mom died when he was around eight, seeing as that was the age his father started teaching him how to cook.

Cas shook his head. "No," he said, "my mom died giving birth to us. There was massive internal hemorrhaging, and she lost a lot of blood. The doctors had to do a c-section to get us out as quickly as possible; it's the reason Anna and I were born not so far apart."

"I'm so sorry," Charlie said while Dean's heart splintered, and he really wished he wasn't driving, so he could hold Cas.

"Don't be," Cas told her. "She told them to save us. Besides, my dad never made us miss her. He told us all about her, made her favorite foods and took us to her favorite places. Taught us all the things she wouldn't get a chance to.

"Like cooking?" Dean raised an eyebrow.

"Like cooking," Cas repeated. "That's why it seems like she died when I was older. Because I knew everything about her...I wished she had the chance to teach us those things herself, but we can't change what happened and having this little bit of her is better than having nothing." Cas's thumb started rubbing the back of Dean's hand, and Dean wasn't sure whom Cas was comforting: himself or Dean. "I used to be really depressed about it when I was younger, but my dad used to always tell me that all I needed to do was look in the mirror, and there she was."

"You look like your mom," Gilda quietly said, and Cas nodded.

"Same hair, nose, chin, mouth...and eyes: size, shape, and color." Cas huffed and smiled, looking more uplifted than before. Looked like talking about this was doing Cas a world of good. Dean wondered if Cas had every told anything outside of his family about his mom? "Michael used to say that I was the male version of mom." Cas then let out a small laugh. "Gabriel used to tease me about being Dad's favorite because of how much I looked like mom. I thought it was because I was more like him than the rest of them." Cas gave them another laugh.

"You should talk about her more," Charlie suddenly said. "I know from personal experience that it helps a lot." It was Cas's turn to crush his hand, and Dean's heart was breaking for both of them. Cas and Charlie were more alike than he thought.

"It does," Cas agreed, "but I never had people I wanted to talk to about my mom." Dean's breath hitched as his stomach felt like lead.

Paying no mind to the rest in the car, Dean brought their joint hands up and kissed the back of Cas's hand. "Well, now you do, and we'll be more than happy to listen to you," Dean sincerely said against it, and Cas squeezed his hand.

Dean fully intended on making Cas comfortable enough to tell him anything because Dean planned to keep his around for a very long time.

~~~✴~~~

Dean pressed Cas more firmly against the wall, one hand flat against the wall while the other had a firm grip on one of Cas's ass-cheeks. Cas had both of his arms around Dean's neck, one hand in Dean's hair and the other gripping onto Dean's shoulder. Cas's legs were wrapped around Dean's waist.

"What--" Cas sharply inhaled when Dean sucked at his neck, "--is with you, me and walls?" Cas breathed out. Dean grunted. His time could be better spent running his tongue on the slender skin in his mouth, tasting the salty taste he had gotten so accustomed to. Dean stopped sucking to breathe in Cas. His heated skin was already coated with a thin layers of sweat, the smelling mixing with the vanilla scent Dean had also gotten accustomed to. Dean wouldn't mind smelling like this everyday. Dean especially would mind his own body wash adding to the smells emanating from Cas.

Dean gave the skin one more lick before letting go and kissing a trail up Cas's neck. Dean then kissed a trail down his next, stopping at the base of Cass's neck to nibble on the flesh there. Burning desire flooded Dean's veins every time Cas's breathing hitched, and every time Cas held on tighter to him.

"I'm telling you--" they heard, along with a door opening, before the voice cut off. Their two head swerved to the side to see Charlie, with Sam and Ash behind her, standing in his doorway with their mouths hanging low, shock prevalent but some guilt on Charlie's face.

"Huh," Charlie said, quickly recovering, with a thoughtful look on her face, "you weren't kidding." Dean's face found Cas's neck again, and he miserably groaned, ignoring how Cas's fingernails dug into his shoulders.

Cas removed his legs from around Dean and stood on his own feet. He removed his arms arms, and Dean stepped back. "I-I'm going to go put a shirt on," Cas said before brushing past Dean and scurrying up the stairs, not looking anyone in the eyes. Cas was okay with being half dressed when it was just the three of them: himself, Henry and Dean. Any other time he wouldn't so much as been seen without a shirt and pants on.

Dean watched him go as his own face heated up. Dean faced his family and leveled them with an anger glare, and feeling immensely pleased with himself when they flinched. Dean turned around and stormed off to the kitchen. Dean's eyed landed on the cake stand that housed leftover pie from yesterday. Dean marched over to his cupboards, opened the one above the sink and grabbed a fork. He stomped over to the island as his siblings slowly dragged themselves into the kitchen. Dean sat down, pulled the cake stand to him, and pulled off the cover.

"Dean, we're sorry--"

"Well, you should be," Dean snapped, stabbing the pie, which was about two pieces big, before shoveling it into his mouth. "The first time we're alone all week, and you guys just barge in," he said between bite. Maybe Dean's blueballs was why he was so anger. But it was the first time they were alone all week. Since they came back from the hospital, Henry had been extremely clingy, refusing to let Cas or Dean out of his sight. He had refused to sleep anywhere that wasn't Dean's arms or Cas's. It almost felt like Henry was convinced they would leave him for the twins if he didn't keep them within sight. They had finally convinced him they weren't going to leave him, which was why he was napping right now--in his own bed, not theirs. Alone. _And what was taking Cas so long?_

"Speaking of which, why are you guys even here?" Dean asked, finally looking at the three sitting in front of him. Half of the pie was already gone. Charlie was biting her lip; Sam was twiddling his thumbs; Ash was staring at his pie. Dean felt justified in taking another bite and watching them squirm. Footsteps caught his attention, and he turned his gaze to the entrance to the kitchen. "No-no-no," Dean dejectedly said, halting Cas's progress--Cas, who looked up confused. "You said just a shirt." Cas came into the kitchen wearing dark-blue jeans, a white undershirt and an unbuttoned blood-red shirt.

Cas smiled apologetically at him. No. This wasn't what Dean wanted. This wasn't how the rest of the their free time was supposed to go. Cas walked over to him, stopping to give a kiss, which Dean didn't return, before walking around him to sit on the stool next to him. Did no-one understand how unhappy he was about all of this?

"Hi," Cas said, and Dean loudly groaned. Cas's hand landed on his thigh and started patting it. It did little to comfort Dean. Which was why Dean grabbed Cas's stool and pulled it.

"Dean!" Cas squeaked. Dean ignored him and turned more to face Cas. Dean curved an arm around Cas and rested his hand on his thigh. Dean watched a blush worked its way up Cas's neck to his cheeks and his ears. His family wasn't going to ruin this for him. Dean turned back to his pie and picked up the fork he dropped with his left hand. Dean tried getting another piece of pie but failed before Cas let out an exasperated sigh and took the fork from him. Dean grinned when Cas held the fork out with a piece of peach pie. Dean held Cas's exasperated yet fond look as he engulfed the piece of pie. His family was just going to have to deal with this.

"It's like living with two three-year-olds," Cas huffed, pulling out the fork and getting a piece for himself.

Dean set his sights on his family, who were all staring at him with shocked, openmouth expressions. His amusement quickly slipped off his face only to be replaced with his confusion. "What?" Dean said, before accepting another bite from Cas.

"You're letting him eat your pie," Sam said in a daze.

"You never share your pie, except with Henry," Ash added on, in as much the same state as Sam.

"And you're letting him feed you," Charlie smirked.

"It's not something he does often," Dean replied. "Feeding is a Henry dominated activity."

"And tasting," Cas cut in, smiling. "Remember how mad he got when I asked you to try the risotto first instead of him?"

"Remember when he asked me to spit it up, so he could still be the first to taste it?" Dean grinned, watching Cas's smile getting wider.

"Remember when you did?"

"But he looked so upset," Dean said, feigning sadness.

"Oh, he was more than upset; he was livid, hands on his hips and everything," Cas said, biting his lip. Dean grinned before leaning forward and kissing Cas. They broke apart at the sound of a shutter. Dean turned to glare at the redhead with her phone in her hands.

"Gilda's taken up scrapbooking," Charlie said, looking at her a horizontal phone. The two men on either side of her were leaning over to see the screen. Dean glared harder at his family, waiting for them to catch on, while Cas busied himself by finishing off the rest of the pie. When his family finally looked up, they smiled sheepishly at him.

Dean sighed before asking. "Why are you guys here?"

"You'd think--" Charlie tried to say but cut herself off when Dean glowered at her.

"It's actually a funny story," Ash said with a slightly hysterical and forced laugh.

"Sam," Dean said with a little edge to his voice.

"Charlie found out that Cas has been helping Ash in _Dark Ages_ , so she cornered him, and he sung like a bird, and Ash happened to be with Dad, who heard from mom that I started playing _Dark Ages_ because she caught me playing it one, so he told them, and here we are--and I won the bet, by the way," Sam said in one go.

"How did she find out?" Cas inquired.

Dean shot him a exasperated and dubious look. "That's what you got out of all of that? Not the whole 'they came over here because of a game.'" Cas shrugged.

"What bet?" Charlie asked. Dean was glad the fork was out of his hand. He was pretty sure he would have stabbed himself?

"Sam and I had a bet to see how long it would take the two of you to figure out I was helping both of you," he said to her and then to Sam, "I'll pay you later."

"I was thinking Beef Bourguignon instead," Sam shyly replied.

Cas blinked before he said, "I can do that. Plus, it'll give me the chance to use the red wine Balthazar gave me for my birthday."

"So, that's what the wine is for," Dean said, more to himself. When Cas looked at him, he added, "I just thought he didn't know you don't drink, and you were too polite to decline his gift." Dean was furious at the time to know Cas's brother didn't bother knowing his little brother didn't drink. Dean was exponentially more furious when he found out about Cas's drinking problem, and his brother brought him wine as a birthday present. This also explained why Cas was so excited when he got three bottles of wine. And no-one bothered to ask why since his family was there.

"God, no," Cas said, a little taken back. "Balthazar would much rather cut his own hands off than willingly give me alcohol that was meant for something other than cooking."

"I know that now," Dean said. "How come you never used it before?"

"Well--" Dean didn't like where this was going, "--you're really not that hard to please, so I kinda don't go overboard with what I make." Indignation flared up. "Besides, a lot of the dishes I'm not too sure Henry would've liked." And then it was gone. Sure Cas had made a variety of dishes, but none of them had been that complicated.

"You could've made it for the two of us," Dean replied somewhat sullenly.

"You know Henry likes to eat what we're eating," Cas reminded him.

"True," Dean said, slouching a bit, before sitting up straighter. "How about we ask my mom or somebody else to watch Henry next week, and you can go overboard?"

"Okay," Cas agreed. "Beef stroganoff?"

"Uh...sure," Dean said.

"I'm going to need white wine. Do you want it over rice, pasta or noodles?" Cas questioned.

"We had enough rice and pasta this week so noodles," Dean answered. Cas nodded with a small smile on his face. Dean could never get over how easy it was to make Cas smile now.

"Still here, guys" Charlie said.

"And isn't that the problem," Dean snarked, completely unaffected but the glare she sent him.

Cas sighed. "You never answered my question," he said to Sam. "How did she find out?"

"Jo," Ash darkly muttered to himself. "Last time, I tell that woman anything."

"You promised to only help me," Charlie said, sounding hurt and ignoring Ash's mumbling.

"I never promised that," his angel replied with furrowed eyebrows.

"It was implied, Cas," she said, rolling her eyes. Dean groaned and buried his face in Cas's shoulder while Cas's petted the hand Dean had on his thigh.

"No, it wasn't," Cas said. "I don't see why it's a problem if I help Sam and Ash."

"Because that is our bonding time," she responded.

"I thought our bonding time was when we talked about how much our government screwed over women and the LGBT community?" Cas questioned with a smile tugging at his lips.

"It is," she said with her own smile tugging her lips, and Dean stopped himself from rolling his eyes, "but..."

"But, she's insanely competitive, and you helping the two of them kinda ruins her plan of finishing the game before any of them," Dean finished with a shrug while Charlie shot an affronted look their way. She could be as affronted as she wanted; it was the truth.

"It's like your Anna's twin and not me," Cas said with an exasperated look, earning a few chuckles and a blush.

"Anna still giving you grief?" Dean asked, fondly smiling at him.

"No." Cas rolled his eyes. "She's too busy being pregnant to poke fun at me."

"How is she?" Dean smiled. Dean knew Cas was just as excited for this baby as Anna was, maybe even more.

"Glad that she doesn't have to deal with morning sickness anymore," Cas responded.

"Jen had it bad when she was pregnant with Henry," Dean remarked. "She spent more than have of her pregnancy throwing up." Out of the corner of his eyes, Dean could spot how tense the three got--but Dean had spent more than enough time being afraid of his past. Dean didn't want his past to rule him anymore. He wanted to say their names without feeling like he was going to choke on his own tongue. He wanted to let go of the bitterness and insecurities he felt whenever he thought about them. He had a chance at true happiness, and he wasn't about to let them ruin that for him--not anymore.

"That's not surprising; Henry can be really picky when he wants to be," Cas joked. Dean threw his head back and laugh, and Cas soon joined in. When Cas calmed down, cheeks painted a faint red, he glanced back at Sam. "What level are you up to?"

Sam grinned, open and unrestrained, and said, "Just got to level ten." He then frowned. "My quest is to find something called a 'Impandula' and kill it. I haven't had time to research it yet."

"Obviously," Cas smirked, and Dean grinned at Sam's slightly taken back composure. Cas may think Sam's decision to research things before coming to him was due to Sam's own thirst for knowledge, but, in this case, it was due to Sam's discomfort at owning anyone anything--another Winchester trait. Except Sam wasn't prideful enough to deny help when freely given. Dean hoped it wasn't the only reason, and Sam actually trusted and relied on Cas because already trusted and relied on Sam.

"You're on level ten?" Charlie squeaked, outraged. "I'm only on level eight."

"Eight?" Ash said, looking dubiously at her. "I'm still stuck on level seven, with that stupid hag!"

"I need more pie," Dean grumbled, and Cas shot him a fond look--the same look Cas always greeted him with when he woke: eyes crinkled up and shining, looking at Dean like he was his whole world. Dean wanted it to be so so badly because Cas was already a big part of his, nestled comfortable next Henry and his mom.

"It's called an _Impundulu_ ," Cas announced above the glares his annoying siblings were shooting each other, "or the 'Lightning Bird.'" That got their attention as well as their confusion.

"What?" his moose of a brother question.

"The thing you're supposed to kill is called an _Impundulu_ , not an 'impandula,'" Cas repeated then snorted. "It's a South African mythical creature that is known to shoot lightening from it's claws and wings. A serious threat to a paladin, who's practically covered from head to toe in metal." Cas shot Sam and expectant look.

"You're a paladin?" Charlie asked, lip twitching.

"Zip it, Amazon," Sam defensively said.

"Cas!" Charlie hissed.

"I told you you should've been a Valkyrie instead," Cas disappointedly aid while Dean and Ash snickered away.

"Laugh it up, Rogue," Charlie snapped.

"Hey! Rogues are awesome!" Ash shouted, looking insulted.

"As if!" Charlie loudly said with a laugh.

"Guys!" Cas hissed, looking sternly at them. He lowered his voice and said, "Henry's still sleeping." Dean could have sworn he saw Ash shivered, but he was too busy being smug. They should have known better than to upset Cas when Henry was concerned.

"Sorry," they both said in hushed tones, adding to Dean's smugness. Cas was really going to fit in well with Dean's family.

"You sure you're ready for all this?" Dean baited with a head tilt in Ash's and Charlie's direction.

Cas expression turned from annoyed to teasing. "I have Gabriel for a brother. Those two are a piece of cake," Cas responded in kind, ignoring the spluttering coming from across him. "Either way, I'm going to have to get used to them, right? Them being family and all?"

Dean knew he had a ridiculous and besotted grin on his face, but he couldn't care less. Dean was truly and utterly gone on Cas. Though Cas may look like he was teasing Dean, Dean knew Cas loved his family and accepted them as his own. And he would be upset if they acted anything but themselves around him. Dean felt like the luckiest man alive to have someone who cared so much about family as he did.

Dean surged forward and kissed Cas. Cas stilled for a second before returning the kiss. "Take one more picture, and I will break that phone of yours," Dean muttered against Cas's lips.

"Spoilsport," Charlie groused, and Cas smiled against his lips.

"Charlie," Dean groaned when he heard the shutter and pulled away from Cas. Charlie smiled innocently at him while pocketing her phone. Dean rolled his eyes. He gave her an hour before everyone had those photos.

"So--o," Sam drawled. "The _Impundulu_?" Dean stared incredulously at his brother, who had his gaze fixed on Cas.

Cas arched an eyebrow at Dean. "Family?"

Dean sighed. "Family." Though, he couldn't keep the grin off his face and prevent his swelling heart.

~~~✴~~~

Charlie, Sam and Ash had apologized to Dean countless times for interrupting him and Cas earlier today, and he believed them, which was why, two hours later, he was in his parents' house, sitting on their cream colored couch, in front of their fire place, with his family members surrounding him, except Benny and Andrea, of course--new babies and all. Dean wouldn't be surprised if he didn't see them for a while. All of their time would be spent on feeding, changing diapers, and getting sleep whenever they could.

The reasons for his visit were standing behind the other couch, perpendicular to the one he was on, avoiding him like the plague. There was a reason why he told his mom to call them. Jess, Gilda and Jo were on the couch across for that one, which was also against the wall housing the windows, eyeing their respective spouses. There was a reason why he made sure they were the last to arrive, and why he had his mom seat them there. Also, why he had Ellen and Bobby occupy one couch--all by themselves.

Dean was going to get this done on the first attempt.

"Will someone please explain what is going here?" his mom frustratingly asked from he spot next to him. His dad was on the other side. "Dean? Is it Henry? Is it Cas?" No. Cas and Henry were safe at home, coloring and waiting on him, so they could start on dinner. Dean amusingly shook his head before zeroing in on his three beloved siblings. "Sam?" his mom called out, and the giant of the three winched but still didn't look at her. "Sam," she emphatically repeated.

"This isn't my fault!" Sam snapped, finally looking at them and blushing, too. "It was Charlie's bright idea to go over there in the first place!" One word, and she already reduced him to a tattletale. Dean loved her so much right now.

"No, it wasn't!" Charlies squawked. Yes, it was. The four of them knew it.

Ash was trying to make himself as small as ever. Dean didn't know where he planned to go. His mother had that glint in her eyes. No-one was going anywhere until this was handled.

"Charlie," Gilda sighed, defeated. It looked like five of them knew that now. Charlie swerved to her to face her wife and shot her a betrayed look. Gilda rolled her eyes and asked, "What did you do?"

"Don't be so hard on her, Gilda," Jess said, crossing her arms and setting her eyes on her husband. "Sam looks way to guilt for this to just be her fault. Whatever it is." Jess looked seconds away for shredding Sam to pieces.

"And Ash has yet to look me in the eyes," Jo added, lips pursed and eyes slightly narrowed as she drummed her fingers on the the couch. Let it be known that the women in his family were not to be messed with. Dean sat there filled with pride as the three women made their significant other sweat.

"Okay, guys," Dean chuckled. "Ease up on the third degree before one of them wets their pants." Or before he did from laughing at their expense.

"Very funny, Dean." Charlie glared.

"I'm pretty sure I'm trying to save your asses," Dean mused, and she snapped her mouth shut.

His mom tiredly sighed. "Care to explain why their asses need saving."

Dean snorted before he answered. "The three of decided to barge into to my house, unannounced because someone--" he stared wide eyed at Charlie, "--didn't want Cas helping the other two in that stupid game." His annoyance about the entire situation may had slipped out at the end. Whatever outburst the three had died on the tongues, killed by the glare Dean and the others facing them leveled them with.

"I get that you're upset--more than expected--that they showed up, unannounced because of that game," Jess said, confused, "but there's nothing new about them just showing up."

Dean wanted to say they knew what was new, but he steeled himself for what he was going to say instead. "They walked in on Cas and me in a...compromising position." Dean closed his eyes to spare himself the looks he would receive.

"How compromising?" Jo asked. His eyes shot open, and he shot her a disbelieving look. Of all the things she could have responded with, she chose that? "What?" she said, shifting uncomfortably. "Trying to get the full picture here."

"I don't get why he's that upset," Charlie commented. "This isn't the first time we've walked in on him. We've walked in on him and Jennifer more than once and in worse situations. At least, you guys had your clothes on." She shuttered.

"Because it's Cas and not her!" Dean yelled, not meaning to and shocking them all into silence. Dean quelled the anger that bubbled up out of nowhere before he spoke again. "I wasn't a huge problem then because I knew you guys didn't like or trusted her. And I let you guys show up, so you could see for yourself that I was okay. I knew you guys were just as overprotective as I was and thought that if you could that I was happy with her then you'll all see that and back off." Dean drew in a haggard breath amd continued. "But then she left me with Henry, and I needed you guys as much as you needed to know that I was all right, so there wasn't any reason to stop you guys from showing up 24/7."

Dean took a moment to take in their downcast expression, his mother's expression more intense than the others. "But now there is," Dean stressed. "There's Cas." Dean didn't look now to see the hurt that was probably on their faces. "Now there's Cas, and I no longer need you guys to check up on me so much--no longer need you guys to worry about me because I'm no longer alone. I have him. I have Cas to take care of me." He didn't admitt that Cas had been taking care of him before the got together. They knew that. "You guys kept saying how stubborn I am about letting other people take care of me, and how he's stubborn enough to not back down?" Dean questioned and got a few hesitant nods. "Then let him."

Dean turned to face his mom. As much as he wanted the others to hear this, he especially wanted her to hear this. "This isn't Cas or me--" when had it stopped just being him? "--saying that we don't need you guys or want you guys around because, god, Cas and I would never not want you guys to come around. And I know Cas feels this way because he really, really loves you guys." Dean could honestly say that, and, by the way his mom's features softened, she knew that, too. "We're just asking that if you do plan on coming over, just...just call and make sure we don't have anything planned. And yes, I know you call whenever you're coming over when you want him to try something." Dean rolled his eyes. "This--"

"This is for the rest of them," she finished for him, smiling softly.

"Yeah," Dean softly said. "And don't stop doing that. I don't want you breaking his heart. He's probably the only person who's happy about being woken up at three in the morning to talk about which sugar is better for ginger snaps: white or brown?"

"Turns out it was dark brown sugar," she mused.

"Mom," Dean said, running her fingers through his hair. "I know. I was there."

"Sorry, we woke you up," she sheepishly said.

"It's fine." Dean deflated. "Turns out neither of us can stay asleep for long when the other is awake." It was now Dean's turn to look sheepish. Dean cleared his throat to drown out the _aww_ 's and the sly looks he was getting. "Like I was saying, if you're going to come over, call. And if for some reason you forget, I have a doorbell. Use it. Hell, knock if you have to. Because Cas and I might be doing something-don't any of you dare snicker." Dean glared at them. "Actually," Dean frowned, "Cas and I are probably going to be busy the next week or so since he's going to be teaching soon. I want to spend as much of that time with him as possible before he goes back to researching and grading papers. Okay?"

"Okay," his mom said, and the others added their assent.

"Good," Dean said, getting up. "Because I need to get home and help Cas make dinner."

"Cas actually lets you help him? I though he did all the cooking?" Ellen questioned.

"He does most of the cooking, but lets me help out sometimes," Dean shrugged the added, "Like me, Cas has a hard time letting other people take care of him, and like you guys, his family thinks I'm stubborn enough to get him to let me take care of him." Dean unabashedly smirked.

His mom rolled her eyes at him but smiled nonetheless. "What are you guys making?"

"Don't know yet," Dean told them. "He did make tiramisu for me to try. No-no-no." Dean vigorously shook his head when they perked up. "Firstly, Cas made that for me, and secondly, no." He glared at them all until they returned  to their original position. "You're all going to stay here while I go home and have a nice, quiet evening with my family."

"Your family?" his mom said with a raised eyebrow and teasing smile.

"You know what I mean," Dean grumbled, yet warm on the inside. He had a family of his own. What he wanted since he built that house.

~~~✴~~~

"Do you know who your dad wants me to meet?" Cas asked as he used one hand to pull Henry's white t-shirt down, straightening it. The other hand had Henry's Batman sneakers and his socks. Cas stilled wondered what possessed Dean to buy Henry so many white clothes. Henry shook his head and kept his head bowed as he played with chain around Cas's neck. "That's okay," Cas assured him by kissing his forehead. Henry absentmindedly hummed and continued to fiddle with the chain. Cas fondly rolled his eyes before knocking.

As Cas waited, he tried to decipher why Dean called him earlier and told him they were going to have dinner at his mom's. Cas was also trying to figure out who this person was that had Dean all giddy and excited, and why he wanted to introduce him to. Cas tired not to tap his feet the longer he stood here. He did wipe his sweaty palm on his dark-blue jeans. Whoever this person was, it was obvious he or she was important to Dean and the rest of them, and Cas desperately want him or her to like him. He was lucky so far that no-one had a problem with him and welcomed him right of the bat.

Cas tried ringing the doorbell this time, and, after a minute or two, he got the same result. "I guess they're out back," Cas sighed before backtracking off the porch and going to the side of the house with the white, picket gate. Henry was no longer occupied with his chain as Cas opened the gate. Henry had been looking forward to running barefoot in his nana's backyard. Cas snorted before kissing his cheek and making his way down the stone alleyway leading to the backyard. As Cas got closer to the backyard, he could hear voices and laughter filter out of the back yard. Henry heard them too because he stood up straighter and grinned. Cas chuckled and kissed his cheek, causing Henry to turn his grin onto Cas. Cas couldn't help but grin back and rubbed his nose against Henry.

Cas stepped into the backyard, looked to the long table straight in front of him and stilled. Cas knew that outline. He knew that puff of curly hair. He knew that white blouse and balck, knee high skirt, seeing as he was to one gift it to her. Dread didn't even begin to explain what Cas felt coursing through him. Thank God, Henry was on his arm, or Cas would have been crushing him to his chest right now.

"Hey, bud," Dean greeted, arms crossed as he leaned against the table, next to the very person that may very well end Cas's life. Dean smiled wide at them. Cas took in how his eyes seemed to disappear and how he seemed to glow glow golden in the setting sun.

"Daddy!" Henry happily yelled, and the two women turned. The blonde smiled at them, not as wide as her son. The other killed all fondness he felt toward Henry and how in awe he was of Dean.

"You changed your number." The words were of Cas's mouth before his brain could catch up, which wasn't surprising since his brain was busy instructing his body to take a step back.

"That I did," the dark skinned women said with a smirk to the now silent backyard. "Well, boy, don't just stand there. Come over here and give me a hug," she sternly instructed before her face broke out in a soft smile.

Cas slowly shook his head, his face showing the horror plaguing his insides. He was too busy to fully take in the multitude of open mouths and confusion expressions. "No," Cas finally said, and her thin eyebrows shot up. "I know that look, and you're going to hit you."

"Well, I have every damn right to," she angrily said. "You move to Lawrence, and you didn't even bother telling me." She crossed her arms now. Dean no longer had his crossed and was looking at him with wide, imploring eyes.

"You changed your number!" Cas shouted, insulted. "Which I found out was because you moved." Cas really wasn't in a position to accuse anyone of anything.

"That shouldn't have stopped you," she said. "You have Clarabelle's e-mail. She would have given you our new number and address."

"She did," Cas told her, "but I was already here, so I thought I would surprise you instead, but when I went to visit you, I found out you guys went to Maryland for the summer. I also can't believe she dropped her phone in a pond." Cas was hoping the joke would get to her a little. It didn't. Her face was still as unchanging as ever.

"We left in the beginning of June," she stressed. "And according to Clara, she gave you our new number and address towards the end of May. You had plenty of time to just drop in."

"She never said the two of you were going on vacation," Cas responded, "so I thought I had time. Besides, I was busy." Cas was fully prepared for the guilt that recked his body. Cas knew he should have visited her when he first got Clara's e-mail. But, in all honesty, he was busy.

"So, I've heard," she derisively said, eyes shifting from Henry to Dean, causing him to blush.

"Missouri," Dean choked out.

"Don't 'Missouri' me, boy," she steely said, fully facing him. Cas would feel remorse later on about being relieved that her focus was no longer on him. "He--" she pointed at Cas without taking her eyes off Dean, causing Dean to shirt uncomfortably on his feet, "--may not have had my number and address, but you do. Why am I now hearing that you have someone else living with you?"

"Umm..." Dean said, backing away from her.

"Well?" Missouri demanded. Dean nervously rubbed the back of his neck and gave a slightly strangled laugh. Missouri faced Cas before Dean could even opened his mouth. "I'm still waiting for my hug," she announced. Cas swallowed with a lot of difficulty and walked over to her. He wasn't going to get out of this one, no matter how hard he tried. He reluctantly handed Henry over to Dean. Henry frowned at him once he was in his father's arms. Cas sighed before wrapping his arms around her. She tightly wrapped her arms around him. And Cas drowned himself in the familiar warmth of her embrace and her lavender scented perfume. After a few minutes, she pulled away and smiled warmly up at him before whacking him across the back of his head.

"Missouri!" Cas hissed, rubbing the back of his aching head. She really didn't hold back.

"I can't believe you moved in with a total stranger," she chided. "Didn't I teach you anything?"

"Excuse me," said a insulted Dean, causing a sting of laughter from everyone else. Missouri whacked him on the back of his head. Henry glared at her before helping Dean rub the back of his head. "Thanks, buddy," Dean mumbled while Henry continued to glare at her.

"You're no better," Missouri said, "letting a stranger into your house."

"Missouri," Mary said, putting a hand on her shoulder and stopping her from saying what she was going to say. "You can yell at them later. But first, how in the world do you know Cas?"

"I used to live in Illinois," Missouri answered her.

"No, you didn't," Dean said, confused. "You used to live in Michigan." Cas loved Dean, but he would not go to his rescue if he got hit again.

Missouri face him and didn't smack him this time, but she did roll her eyes. "I remember telling you that I used to live in Illinois but moved to Michigan for a year before moving here," she tiredly said.

"Right," John breathed out and everyone looked at him, where he was standing with Sam, Bobby, Ash and Gilda. "You were born there. I completely forgot about that." She disbelievingly shook her head at John. "What? You've lived here long enough that it doesn't feel like you've lived anywhere else."

"Yes," Missouri said. "Born and raised in Illinois where Cas's father and I went to the same high school."

"And how do you know them?" Cas asked.

"John and William were friends," she said with a sad smile. William Moseley was Missouri's late husband and the father of Clarabelle. He died when Clarabelle was just five. "They met when Will was visiting his family in Florida, and they have kept in contact ever since. John still stayed in contact after he died."

"You never talked about Illinois or about Cas and his family before," Mary softly said, a little sad, too.

"Because it was difficult back then to talk about Illinois without mentioning Will, so I never did, and it stuck," Missouri replied, and Cas took her hand and gave it squeeze before letting go. Missouri smile at him, no threat behind it this time. "It's actually one of the reasons why I moved," she continued. "It was a harder to live there there without him, so I moved to Michigan but didn't like as much and figured Kansas was a better bet."

"You said that was one of the reasons," John said. "What were the others?"

Missouri shot Cas a find smile, which Cas returned. "Castiel and the other little troublemakers."

"I was not a troublemaker," Cas defensively said.

"You jumped out of a tree and broke your arm," Missouri retorted, stressing the words more that Cas thought was necessary. Cas rolled his eyes at her. "Anyway, They were the reason I stayed so long after Will died because I have been their since they were born, and I have watched they grow. The day I left was when they all finally grew up. Michael and Lucifer were off setting up their firm. Gabriel and Balthazar were off in New York--"

"Gabriel was the only one in New York when you left," Cas cut in. "Balthazar was in England at that time."

"Right," Missouri said. "But either way, the two of them were off--never could get them to stay at home when they were younger." The two of them chuckled. "They were off, and, finally, you and Anna were going off to college. And your father agreed that it was a good idea for me and Clara to get away from it all for a while. A while ended up being ten years."

"Wait, so you never went back?" Jess asked from where she was sitting in white, lawn chair, along with Andrea and Benny, sitting on chairs on either side of her. The two of them had dark circles under their eyes. One week with the twins, and they were already exhausted. Andrea was holding a baby monitor.

"Of course, I did--" Missouri said before cutting off. "Let me guess," she sardonically said. "When I said I was going home, you all thought I meant Michigan, right?" Cas stifled his laugh when none of them answered. She then arched an eyebrow at him. "I thought after Gabriel and Balthazar...and Anna, Lord, your whole family," she started to say, "you would've wanted to avoid all this craziness?"

"They're not that crazy," Cas smiled, getting one in return. Her smile then fell off her face, and she smacked his arm

"What now?!" Cas yelled, rubbing his arm. He stopped when Henry held his arms out. Cas took him from a sheepish Dean and sat him on his uninjured arm. Henry rubbed Cas's arm before turning to glare at Missouri.

"You jumped in front of a car," she said, unperturbed by the glaring child.

"Who told you?" Cas questioned while trying to calm Henry down.

"Gabriel," She answered.

"What." Cas tore his attention away from Henry. "When he tell you that?"

"A couple of weeks ago, Clara and I went to visit them in New York," she told him.

"He never told me this. None of them did," Cas protested. He was going to strangle them the next time he saw them

"I told him not to," Missouri shrugged.

"You-how long have you actually known about Dean and me?"

She looked him straight in the eye and said, "A while."

"How long is 'a while?'" Cas asked, annoyance rising to the surface.

"Since the end of June." Cas miserably groaned and rested his head on Henry's.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Dean said, mildly upset.

"It means," Missouri stressed, "that I called Gabriel in June to see when in July Clara and I could visit them and found out that Castiel moved in with some guy and his son, both of whom he didn't know, jumped in front of a car to save this guy's son, almost died, fell in love with this guy--" Cas flushed, "--and was lucky enough that the guy loved him back. The only thing that stopped me from flying back and wringing your ears was the who."

"We didn't plan any of this," Cas said with a glare.

"Of course, not." Missouri rolled her eyes. "You're always meticulous about what you do. I guess I should be happy that when you do decide to do something without overthinking it you ended up with this one." She tilted her head in the direction of Dean.

"The was perhaps the most grudging 'I approve' I have ever received," Cas said, with a ridiculous smile on his face. "And I had to introduce Emmett to Dad, Michael and Lucifer."

"I still don't understand why you wanted to date him," Missouri mused.

"He was a good guy," Cas defensively said.

"He was a snob," she replied.

"He was nice to me."

"Only because he wanted to get in your pants."

"We're done talking about this," Cas snapped.

"And we should really have dinner now," Mary uncomfortably said, looking from Missouri to him.

"Yes," Missouri agreed. "Cas can fill me in on what else he forgot to tell me later." Cas groaned, finally remembering how much he loved having her around and how much he didn't--but more of the love than hate.

~~~✴~~~

"So, Missouri?" Dean whispered next to his ear, a gust of warm air ghosting across his ear, and Cas didn't bother suppressing the shiver that wrecked his body.

"What are the odds?" Cas replied, situating himself more firmly against Dean's firm chest. Cas fanned the fingers of the arm resting on the couch handel out, stretching Dean's fingers out as well. Dinner was over, and everyone had dessert, which turned out to be quiche. Now, everyone were scattered around the house and outside relaxing and doing whatever they so pleased.

Dean kissed the side of his neck, and Cas arched his neck. Dean hummed and buried his nose in Cas's neck. Cas relaxed more into Dean, feeling heat seep into him through the thin, sky-blue shirt he was wearing and with every exhale Dean gave. For the past few days, they had been able to spend as much time together, and Cas was sure Dean had a hand in that but far be it for him to complain. In about a week, he would be back teaching, and spending time together would all come down to their schedules and Henry. Although, they would happily give up any free time for themselves if Henry asked them so.

"Are we going to need to separate the two of you?" Two heads shot in the direction of the voice to see a very amused Missouri sitting across from them. Twin chuckles came from the side of her, and Cas turned to see an equally amused John and Mary. Cas's cheeks heated up, turning a bright shade of red. Dean's cheeks were very much the same. Sometimes it was hard to remember there were others in the room whenever Dean and he were so close together. Missouri raised an eyebrow, and Cas could feel his defenses rising. " _Vous faites-vous comme eux robuste?_ " She smirked. (Translation: You sure do like them rugged?)

"Missouri," Cas lowly hissed.

"What?" Dean exclaimed, tensing up. "What did she say?"

"Nothing," Cas mumbled and glared, despite his redden cheeks. "And I do not." Missouri rolled her eyes, and the affection he felt building up from dinner was slowly receding.

"Doesn't seem like nothing," Dean said, a bit peevish.

"She was just teasing me," Cas told him, rubbing their thumbs together.

"Can't she tease you in English?" And Cas grinned at the pout in his voice. Cas couldn't resist Dean's pout no more than he could resist Henry's. Well, Henry had to get it from somewhere. Though Mary did say all the Winchester men had it. Years of evolution, Cas guessed.

"Have you met her?" Cas retorted. Dean grunted and buried his nose in Cas's hair. Cas cast his eyes downward and grinned. When he looked, his grin fell whe he spotted the intense look Missouri was giving them. Cas thickly swallowed when she said nothing. He was about to ask what was wrong when she finally spoke up.

"Charles would have approve," Missouri evenly said, looking straight in his eyes, and Cas thought her eyes may very well shine in that moment.

"I thought so, too," Cas softly said with a splittings smile on his face. That was the thing with Missouri. She sure knew how to quickly win someone's affection.

"Who's Charles?" Mary asked from her place in John's arms.

"My dad."

"Oh," Mary said before returning his face splittings smile.

"Despite how you met him," Missouri added. And as easily as affection was won, it could be gone in seconds. Regardless, she knew how to maintain respect.

"You're never going to let that one go, are you?" Dean irritatingly asked.

Missouri sat up straighter ans smiled sweetly at them. Years of experience with that smile had Cas squeezing Dean's hand. Dean must have known what the smile meant because he squeezed back just as hard. "No," She delightedly said. "Think of how good of a story this will be for your grandkids."

Dean and John choked on air while Mary's eyebrows met her hairline. Cas was trying to hide his red cheeks while avoiding the knowing glint in her eyes. He could never hid anything from her. Then again, no-one ever could.

"Cas!" a gleeful voice yelled, and Henry rushed into the room. Cas sucked in a breath as he ran past the glass, coffee table. Cas let it out when Henry didn't crash into anything, noting how the rest in the room relaxed as well. Henry stopped in front of him, rested a hand on his thigh and one on Dean's and grinned at him.

"Did you have fun with Uncle Sammy?" Cas asked, grinning at his damp hair and flushed cheeks.

"Yeah," he answered, trying to push himself up. Cas rolled his eyes while Dean snorted, and he unlaced their fingers and helped Henry up. Once on Cas's lap, Henry continued with, "Uncle Sammy lost."

"He did?" asked Cas, biting his lips. Leave it to Henry to find a way to win at frisbee. Henry quickly nodded.

"He sure has grown since the last time I saw him," Missouri commented, and the two of them looked at her.

"Yeah," Dean answered, "and getting bigger every day." Dean tickled his side, sending him in a fit of giggles. "That also reminds me. I'm planning on signing him up for preschool. You wouldn't happen to know one?"

"Funny," Missouri glared. That was the other reason Dean wanted him here today. It so happened that the person Dean wanted him to meet was also in charge of preschool, and Dean wanted his input. Cas was still shocked that Dean wanted his input on something as important as this. It meant Dean was further cementing Cas place in his and Henry's life. And Cas was so far over the moon.

"So, what do you say? You got a spot for Henry?" Cas was sure Dean had on that smile he used to charm everyone.

"Normally, I would need to interview the family and the kid--"

"You know the family and the kid," Cas cut her off, rolling his eyes.

"There are procedures--"

"That you came up with since it is your preschool," Cas interrupted again. "And if you want that interview so badly, the entire family and the kid are here."

"I forgot how sassy you can get," Missouri glowered, and Cas smirked at her. "Fine. Hi, Henry."

"Really?" Cas in exasperation, and it was Missouri's turn to smirk.

"I would've just handed him the spot if he was your son," Missouri remarked. Cas's hackle rose, but his mouth didn't open. He didn't know what would have come out his mouth.

"What?" Mary said, confused.

"Castiel is the reason why I have a preschool in the first place," Missouri said with a fond smile. Cas crouched down a little and avoided their eyes, embarrassment overcoming him. "He gave me the money to open my own preschool."

Dean unconsciously squeezed his hand and said, "Really?"

"Yeah," Cas answered. There was no point in denying it now. Though, he still didn't look them in the eyes. "It was the money my dad left me. Missouri always talked about owning her own preschool, but she didn't have to money--and I did. So, I gave it to her. It was better than letting it just sit there."

"That was really kind of you," Mary said.

Cas shyly shrugged. "It's seemed like such a shame not to help her when I could. And my dad would have been happy to know that it went to something as noble as teaching." Cas shared a secret smile with Missouri.

"I'm sure he must be really proud of you," Dean said into his ear.

"He always was," Missouri said, and the two of them flushed. "I'll bring the paper work some time next week." She then focused her attention on Henry. "Did you hear than? You're going to start school soon?" Henry didn't respond to her.

"Aren't you happy about getting to go to school?" Cas asked, and Henry beamed at him.

"Yep!" Henry cheered.

"Than why didn't you answer Missouri?"

His little prince furrowed his tine brows. "She hit you," Henry simply said like it made all the sense in the world.

"She hit me, too," Dean grumbled, not at all upset.

"And Daddy," Henry amended, drawing a laugh out of all of them.

"You're father always said one would follow you home," Missouri laughed.

"And I got the best one," Cas said before rubbing his nose. His heart swelled when Henry nuzzled him.

Henry definitely was one of the best thing he could have ever hoped for.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So...#AskSupernatural. Frankly, I wasn't upset about it. We were finally talking about some of the problematic areas of the show. 
> 
> On a happier note, you guys should totally make time to go to the pier. I went a week ago, and it was so relaxing, especially at sunset. 
> 
> Thanks for reading.


	13. Variable: Redemption

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dean finally did Cas to watch Old Western movies with him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so, so immensely sorry for the long wait, but I didn't have the motivation to write for this story, so I decided to take a break. I didn't want to force myself to write and do a poor job of it either. So, once again, so sorry for the wait. 
> 
> Enjoy.

 

Dean finally did get Cas to watch old Western movies with him. The only problem with that was Dean chose a night where he was too distracted to pay attention to the movie or to Cas. Given the position he was in, Dean couldn't see Cas's face to tell if he was even enjoying the movie and if this would be something Cas would want to do again.

Cas and he were lying on the couch with Dean on top of him, head pillowed on Cas's chest. They were both in their boxers since they were already in bed when Dean couldn't stop tossing and turning, and he decided to watch a movie to ease his mind. Cas, who was clearly kept awake by Dean's refusal to stay still, followed him downstairs--he wasn't kidding when he told his mom they had a difficult sleeping when the other wasn't present. Cas had one of his hands buried in the hair on the back of Dean's head and the other hand on Dean's lower back, where he was gently stroking Dean's back with his thumb. Cas's slow heartbeat, drumming in his ears, was a stark contrast to his own.

Dean's eyes cast down from the screen he was vaguely paying attention to the black box under it. 1:13 A.M. it said, and Dean tiredly sighed, even though sleep was the farthest thing from his mind.

"Sorry," Dean mumbled into Cas's chest. "I know you have class early in the morning."

Cas tiredly sighed as well, and like Dean, it wasn't from sleep. It was from constantly hearing him apologize for being distracted the entire day. "It's fine," Cas said for what may be the millionth time today. And like the other time, there was a kiss to follow. This time it was on the top of his head.

"It's not," Dean stubbornly refuted. "I know I shouldn't be worried about--" Dean broke off, not even being able to finish the sentence. He knew he should be worried about Henry starting preschool. But Dean found he couldn't do anything against the fear that took hold of him whenever he thought about leaving Henry in a room filled with other kids he had never met. Dean was gripped with uncertainty. Could Dean really trust a stranger to be there for his kid? Could he trust a stranger to know what Henry needed?

And as irrational as it sounded, Dean felt like he was betraying his son. Dean swore on the day Henry was born he would always be there for him, and he would always give him want he needed. Now, he was handing that over to a complete stranger. Dean was handing the most important thing in his life to a complete stranger to be put in a room of filled with even small strangers, whom Henry was meant to interact with. How could Dean do that?

"Dean, it really is okay," Cas sternly said. "You're acting like any typical parent who is sending their child to school. It's harder for you because Henry's your only child. And it's always been the two of you. " Cas switched from using his thumb to using his finger to trace swirls on Dean's back.

It was because Henry was his only child that he felt like he needed to be even more cautious. Dean could never live with himself if something was to happen to Henry. God, he wanted to keep Henry at home, but Henry was getting bigger, and he needed to be around kids his own age. Henry couldn't limit his only human interaction to the adults in his life. But was it so wrong to want him where Dean would know what he was doing every minute of every day?

"Dean," Cas said, which sounded more of a whine that just Dean's name, and held him tighter. "Henry is going to be fine. He's a smart and resilient kid. Preschool will be a breeze for him. How could it not be? He can charm the pants off of anyone."

The weak chuckle was out of Dean before he knew it. All Henry needed to do was smile at someone, and he already had them in the palm of his. Dean could already imagine the amount of trouble he would get out of with smile when he was older. Hell, Dean could equally imagine the trouble he could get in with it now. If Henry turned out to be anything like him, Dean was going to need to have a serious talk with him about who he should trust his heart with, anything to prevent his son from going through what he went through. Though, what he went through gave him two of the most cherished things in his life.

"What if he doesn't like it?" Dean questioned, pressing more into the warm, firm flesh under his face.

"Then we'll take him out of preschool," Cas simply answered, and Dean could feel his shoulders move, signalling Cas was shrugging, "and we'll try again when he's older."

"What if something happens?" Dean asked, feeling the telltale signs of his earlier panic resurfacing. Surely, Cas must have felt how his heart rate tripled, being pressed so close together?

"Nothing's going to happen, Dean," Cas reassured him, or at least tried to since the pounding in Dean's ears were making it harder to pay attention. "Even if something does happen, which I highly doubt anything will, there are trained professionals there that can handle it. Plus, Missouri will be there, and she has all of our numbers. One phone call, and I'm sure we'll drop whatever we're doing to get to him. And don't forget I'm only five minutes away from the school--I'll be there in a heartbeat."

Dean could feel the panic clawing at his throat retreat a little. He had no doubt that his entire family would drop what they were doing to get to Henry. And Missouri was there to keep an eye on Henry. But Dean couldn't hold onto that reassurance for very long. It had always been Henry and him for so long. He was the one Henry went to for comfort, when he needed something or when he just wanted to be around Dean. Sure that had all changed when Cas had come along, but Henry had never stopped coming to him for all those things. Cas also didn't feel like an intrusion; Cas seamlessly fitted into their lives without Dean fully realizing it.

It was true that Henry had babysitters before, but they were people that Dean knew for a very long time and knew he could rely on. Even then, Dean knew he was never far away from Henry. If Henry needed him, Dean himself could be there in a heartbeat. With the babysitters, Henry had never really formed any special connections with them. There was a chance that would happen with his teachers.

If Dean was honest with himself, he would admit what he was really panicking about wasn't the fact that he had to trust other people with Henry, it was the fact that Henry had to trust other people. Trust that was freely given to Dean and his family was going to be given to random strangers. Henry was going to go to stranger for comfort, for the the things he needed and for their company--and it was eating Dean from inside. With Cas, this wasn't a problem because Henry was still within arms length, and Cas always made an attempt to include Dean in everything, but with preschool, Henry wasn't within grasp. Dean wasn't included in anything. No more could Dean tell Cas he would get what Henry needed, or he would tend to Henry. Others would be doing that for him. The 'I'll get him' would be coming out of some else mouth.

Henry was growing up--and it scared Dean.

"What if the other kids are mean to him?" Dean finally managed to say it through all his panic and worry.

"Do you honestly think Missouri will stand for bullying in her school?" Cas gave as a response. Dean shook his head, all too aware of Missouri's hatred of those who pick on others. "Good, because Missouri didn't have one of the best preschool in Kansas by allowing things like bullying in her school." Cas went on to massaging his scalp, and Dean hummed and moved into the touch.

"What if people have a problem with us?" This wasn't anything new. Dean always had to constantly worry about what others would think about whom he was dating or sleeping with as that was all everyone really cared about.

"There is always going to be someone who has a problem with us," Cas replied, stunning Dean. "But no-one has said anything about us yet, and I'm pretty sure we've been all around Lawrence. If someone does have a problem, he or she can come to us instead of being a coward and going after a child. And I highly doubt he or she is going to get far with Missouri. I have had Missouri come to my aid plenty of times as a kid and while growing up, and let me tell you, she sure can strike the fear of god in someone."

Dean chuckled, more lighter than before. Dean didn't, however, miss what Cas didn't say. Cas had already regaled Dean with stories from his past; some of them were about the bullying he had faced while growing up, being one of the very few openly gay kid and socially awkward. Dean had seen some of that bullying with kids from his own childhood. Maybe that was why he never came out as bisexual earlier? Why give people another reason to scorn him?

"And don't think for a second," Cas went on saying, "that she wouldn't kick out any homophobic parents. It wouldn't surprise me if she hadn't already done this in the past, and it won't surprise me if she does so in the future. So, stop worrying so much. As far as our so-Henry," Cas hastily corrected himself, and Dean raised his head to look at him. Cas used the hand on the back of his head to push Dean back done, but not before Dean saw his painted cheeks. It appeared Cas forgot about his now far from steady heartbeat drumming in Dean's ear. "As far as Henry knows," Cas carried on, voice a little strained, as if Dean didn't notice the slip up, and Dean smiled into his skin, feeling the tension leave Cas body, "we're just two people who love each other, and that is all that should matter, not what other people think or say."

Similarly to how the tension left Cas body, Dean's tension left his body in one exhale. It had less to do with Cas's word and more to do with the one he didn't quite finish. It was getting more extraneous by the day to not think of Henry as theirs. Dean was surprised one of them didn't slip up sooner. He was even more surprised Henry didn't. There was no doubt in his mind Henry considered Cas as another parental figure in his life. Sometimes it felt as if Henry viewed Cas as more of a parent than Dean. Dean was more of the friend he could play with and do mischief with. Dean was all for being the fun parent. It also assured Dean that he had someone who could share in his worries, someone to help him carry the weight.

The almost admission had him thinking more about what he wanted this thing with Cas to go. Dean found that he very much wanted Cas to be able to consider Henry as his as much as he wanted Cas to be considered his. But there was very little he could do about that now. The state of Kansas made sure of that. Either way, it was too early to be making grand declarations. They had plenty of time for things like that down the road. And things between them were still so new between them. They should become more accustomed to each other first (A voice in Dean's head told him they were more than accustomed to each other, but Dean ignored it.). Maybe Dean could take a page out of Charlie's book and say 'Screw you' to Kansas and have Henry be theirs regardless of what Kansas thought.

In light of all of those things, Dean still needed to know. "How are you not freaking out about this? We're about to send _our_ little prince out on his own." The hand grabbed a fistful of hair before letting go. Cas's heartbeat was off again. Funny how Cas's heartbeat seemed to be intent on betraying his mind--first the hospital and then now.

"It won't do any of us any good if both of us are panicking," Cas quietly said. "Plus, Henry's so excited about tomorrow, and he's going to know something is up if we're both sulking."

"I'm not--"

"Yes, you are," Cas interrupted him. "We both are." Dean's head snapped. Cas's face was still facing the screen. "I just do it when he's not looking," Cas quietly finished.

"Good," Dean said before lowering his head and snuggling more into Cas while Cas gave a small laugh. It was good to know he wasn't the only one stressing about tomorrow.

"We really shouldn't worry," Cas said after some time. "Henry will be well taken care of." Some part of Dean knew that was true. He wouldn't have even considered this if he didn't know Henry would be looked after. "He was bound to grow up sometime," Cas said. "And I know a big part of you is worrying that he won't need you any longer."

"Am not," Dean petulantly said. Cas was probably rolling his eyes at him.

"But Henry is always going to need you," Cas continued as if he didn't say anything. "When have we never went to our parents with our problems? Okay, there is our teenage years, but that's only because we were delusional enough to believe we could handle whatever came our way. _But_ , we eventually went to them for help. And now, who are the first people you call or go to for help?"

Dean didn't answer. He didn't need to, and Cas knew that. Why else would Cas sink deeper into the couch and pull Dean closer to him? Grudgingly, Dean had to agree with him. His parents were always the ones he went to when he need help, even when he tried so hard to convince himself he didn't need their help. His parents were the first people he went to after he left the hospital with Henry. They were the ones he went to when he was out of his depth concerning what to do when it came to the infant he was left to care for by himself. They were still on the top of his list of people he could turn to today.

Dean could feel himself relax more. Maybe Henry still needed him around.

~~~✴~~~

Dean wasn't sure when Cas and he fell asleep, but they woke up the same position they were in last night. Dean was thankful that Cas brought his phone down with him last night (He wouldn't put it past Cas to have planned all of this), or they would have definitely overslept, and Henry would have more than likely gutted them. Then again, Henry's shout for them shortly after Cas's alarm went off would have gotten them on their feet at a faster rate than any alarm would have.

The shout had brought a smile to their lips as they stared at each, but quickly fell when they realized just what day it was, which would explain why it took a few more impatient shouts from the top of the stairs to get them to get up. Words couldn't describe how grateful Dean was that Cas allowed him to get Henry ready, even though it was his turn. How could Cas not be considered another parent when they pretty much had a schedule worked out concerning their little prince?

Dean figured crowding Cas up against the wall and making his knees go weak was a good place as any to thank him. And if Cas went to the kitchen to make pancakes with spit shined, swollen lips and a besotted smile, then Dean was close to hitting the mark.

His smugness had quickly fell off his face as he took the first step up the stairs, where he was meant to dress his son for the outside world. Dean believed he was fully justified in holding onto Henry a little too long when he got to the top of the stairs. He was even more justified in holding onto him as he got Henry's toothbrush ready for him. Henry didn't mind the extra attention. He only drank it up as he smiled around his toothbrush from his spot in Dean's arms. Dean, too, drank up at attention, placing far too many kisses on Henry's cheeks and forehead.

Bath time was a much happier time than the staged show he was putting on for the past few days. Henry allowed Dean to play with his toy boat while he played with his green turtle. Henry was trying to sink his boat with his turtle while was caught between laughing and trying to get his boat safely to the other side. That was probably the most he had laughed all week. Dean probably listen to Cas more because it looked like Henry stilled need him to save his bear from the bad, bad turtle.

Dean went about getting Henry ready at a calmer pace. There were still things Henry needed him for. One of them being, Dean would always be another ear that Henry could talk off. Dean would happily comply if it meant Henry would want to be in his arms, while Dean looked for his clothes, talking about how he was going to miss his favorite show and making lunch with Cas then going off on a tangent about why people bought cookies in containers.

Dean remembered how outraged he was when Dean told him, "Not everyone has a Cas to make them cookies."

Dean had a sneaking suspicion the way Henry held onto Cas when they went down to the kitchen had more to do with Henry's plan to ensure a steady supply of future cookies. It was further confirmed when Henry asked if Cas remembered to pack his cookies. The urgency Henry had in his voice had Cas frowning at Henry then raising his eyebrow at Dean. Dean shrugged, keeping his smile covered, and went to get get himself ready.

Dean got himself at a more lethargic state; he son was no longer there to keep his mind to straying. Dean didn't even know how he got to the bathroom or how he managed to shower. He vaguely remembered opening his closet and getting out a shirt and pants. His mind was too occupied with various scenarios of how his son's day could possibly go. Amount those thoughts he stopped whenever he heard his son's voice and laughter made its way up the stairs.

The thought that stood out most was the one that whispered that Henry might want to spend more than three day at preschool. He might come home telling them he wanted to go there everyday--he may ask them to let him stay longer. Dean remembered putting one foot in front of the other, panic nipping at him, wondering what would happen would rather spend his time at school than help Cas make things or visit him at work. There was nothing stopping Dean from doing that for him. Missouri made sure he would be more that able to pay for a full week of preschool. Cas even made sure of them with what he was contributing to their shared life.

When he got to the kitchen, all could pay attention to was how excited his son was about going to school. Henry was sitting on the island, practically bouncing, as Cas fed him bites of chocolate chip pancakes. Cas wasn't lying when he said Henry was excited about today. Dean had felt it the moment he held Henry on top of the staircase. Henry's skin thrummed with excitement, and Dean attributed it to all the extra attention. But as Dean stood there watching his son animatedly talk about what he wanted to do at school, Dean realized he was being a little selfish--stupid, really. He was wallowing that he son wouldn't need him when he had practically handed his son something he clearly desperately wanted.

Cas got that, and he was trying to get Dean to see that by putting his worries to rest, but Dean kept on desperately holding onto them. Instead on focusing on what he was giving his son, he spent all his energy focusing on what he was losing. Dean didn't even think about all of the things we would learn there. Those strangers he was putting his son in a room with may turn out to be friends he could keep throughout his life. Dean would be jeopardizing those two things by wanting to keep him close--by sheltering him the the tight group of family he had. Dean couldn't do that to his kid.

Dean's inability to deny his son something he truly wanted was why he pulling up in front of the gray, stoned, three story building some time later. Henry lit up the second they stopped in front of the building, and he bounced in his car seat instead of trying to get himself out, for which Dean was grateful for. Dean could see Cas pulling up behind them and getting out of his Car.

Dean took a deep breath before getting out of the car. When he got to the other side, Cas held out Henry's Thor bookbag while he was working on seatbelt. Dean took the bookbag, tightly curling his fingers around it. Just Because he understood what he was doing for Henry didn't make it that much easier. When Cas got Henry out, Dean turned but stopped when he felt a tug at the bag. He raised an eyebrow at Cas, and Cas handed him Henry and took the bag without a word.

"Come on," Henry said. Dean kissed Cas quick on the lips to thank him, already feeling himself relax with Henry in his arms.

"Let's go," Cas said and lead them to the steps and the dark-gray metal doors. Through the doors, they found a large rectangular opening where a receptionist was sitting. She was about their age, jet-black hair tied in a bun, round glasses and a white dress shirt. Next to her was a white desktop, but her eyes were cast downward. Behind her was room filled with black desk with stacks of paper on each and a number of books.

"Morning," Cas said, and the dark-haired woman looked up from the book she was looking at and smiled at him.

"Morning," she happily greeted, and Dean thought she was wearing too much make-up for someone working at a preschool. "How can I help you?"

"New student," Cas answered. "Henry Winchester."

The women, who had yet to give a name and who also wasn't wearing a nametag, perked up, face lighting up in recognition. "Ms. Moseley told me about you guys. Henry's classroom is through these doors--" she pointed to the her left, "--last room on your left. Room 110. Ms. Matthews." She smiled widely at them.

"Thank you," Cas said and walked over to the door. Dean was more than happy to let him lead. A thought popped into Dean's head as they were walking down the light-blue hallway that had pictures of varying levels of skill dotting the walls. This was probably not the first time Cas had done this. It was more than likely Cas had to take one of the kids he babysat to preschool.

"Here we are," Cas announced the same time Henry started squirming and a brunette walked out the room.

"Hello," she said, surprised as Dean put Henry down. One more step, and she would have walked into Cas. This woman was younger than they were and had on a dark-blue blouse that had ruffles around the neck and down the middle and was wearing a pencil skirt.

"Hi," Cas said, stepping back. "Sorry about that."

"It's fine," Ms. Matthews said, getting over her shock and smiling. She frowned and said, "Let me guess. You must be the Winchesters." Both their eyebrows met their hairlines. She laughed. "Wasn't a lucky guess. You guys are the last ones here."

"Ah," Cas quietly said while Ms. Matthews eyes traveled down to the little kid between them.

"You must be Henry?" She gently said with a wider smile.

"Yeah!" Henry excitedly shouted and hopped once. Now it was her turn for her eyebrows to meet her hairline.

"Oh, goody," she exclaimed, looking close to clapping her hand like an excited seal. "He's one of the rare ones who aren't afraid of their first day." If anything, Henry smiled brighter at the complement. Dean was drowning in pride. His son was somewhat of a novelty, and he appeared to have already won over his teacher. She smiled once more at him then looked up at Cas. "I was just about to look for you guys because we're about to start," she told them.

"Sorry," Cas said looking apologetic.

"Forget about it," she said, snapping her wrist. "You guys made it in just in the nick of time. How about you say 'bye' to your dads, Henry? Then we'll go meet the others."

Dean's brows furrowed while Cas shifted uncomfortably on his feet. Henry simply nodded. ' _Just what has Missouri been telling her staff?_ ' Dean thought.

Cas squatted down next to Henry. "Bye, Henry," he said, giving him a tight hug then a kiss to Henry's forehead.

"Bye, Cas!" Henry grinned then kissed Cas's cheek. Ms. Matthews frowned then her features softened. Henry turned away from Cas and looked up at Dean. Yeah, Dean was going to need more that what Cas did.

Dean lifted him up and crushed him to his chest. "Bye, buddy," Dean softly said.

"Bye, Dad," Henry mumbled into Dean's neck. Dean pulled back and kissed him on both cheeks and his forehead before putting him down. His teacher held her hand out, and Henry took it.

"Have a nice day, Henry," Cas called our as the two of them made their way onto the classroom, taking Dean's hand. Henry looked back and dutifully nodded like Cas was giving him a command. Dean bit back the laugh, too afraid it would shatter his already cracked heart. Henry gave them on finally wave and follwed her fully into the room, looking up at and running his mouth off a mile a minute. "We should go," Cas said, "before he looks back again and sees one of us crying."

"I don't cry," Dean retorted, ignoring his stinging eyes.

"Sure you don't," Cas sarcastically said and pulled him down the hallway, Dean numbly allowing him.

When they were back by his car, after having waved to the receptionist, Cas was too polite for his own good, Dean finally said, "Why didn't you just hit me over the head and told my how stupid I was being?" Dean had his arms crossed and was leaning on the Impala.

 

Cas frowned before he got just what Dean was talking about. "Because that was something you had figure out on your own." Cas did smirk at the end, cheeky bastard. 

"It would've been easier if had just told me," Dean huffed looking to the side. The first store next to the school was some pizzeria. Dean snorted.

"Yes, it would've," Cas said, causing Dean to look back at him. "But it really was something you need to come to on you own." Cas stepped closer, and Deam wasted no time uncrossing his arms and pulling Cas flushed against him. "From all the parents I have talked to at playgrounds and schools, they always talk about how the very first, first day of school is always the hardest. And all of them basically talked about it being hardest because how accustomed they were to being the one providing everything to their kid. It felt wrong trusting someone else to be there form their kid. But then they remembered why they were doing this..." cas trailed off and looked expectantly at him.

"It wasn't that they were abandoning their child, they were giving him a chance to be his own person, to make friends--to learn," Dean said in a monotone voice, eyes skyward.

"Exactly," Cas cheered then pushed some of Dean's hair to the side. Dean glared at him for messing up his hair. Cas continued to smile at him. "And you know what else they told me?"

"What?" Dean gruffly said.

"At the end of the day, their child always came back to them--to the one person they know, who would revel in all the accomplished by themselves. They know that they gave them that chance to experience all of that."

"He really will be all right?" Dean asked after some time contemplating what Cas had told him. Cas had finally been able to put his worries to rest.

 

"Henry has inherited all of the Winchester stubbornness and will most likely survive pre-school," Cas fervently said. "If there was one kids who could handle all this world has to throw at him, it's Henry."

Dean surged forward and sealed his lips with Cas's, putting everything he felt into that one kiss. "Thanks, Cas," Dean said against his lips.

"You don't have to thank me," Cas replied. "I have a vested interest in keeping my two Winchesters happy."

Dean grinned before kissing him again. "You should go before you late."

Cas groaned, stepped back and responded with, "I'm already late."

"Well, more late then." Dean grinned at the exasperated look Cas gave him. Maybe he really did to realize things on his own? "Love you."

Cas deflated and fondly said, "I love you, too. And don't worry about Henry. It's only for a few hours, and I'll be here to pick him up after my last class." Cas gave him a peck on the lips.

"Okay," Dean said. "Now, go."

Cas rolled his eyes but walked over to his car. Dean's eyes lingered on how well Cas's black jeans cupped his ass. "I know what you're doing," Cas threw over his shoulder. "And I suggest you stop."

Dean threw his head back and let out a boisterous laugh. He calmed down enough to see Cas wave at him before driving off. Feeling better than he had in few days, Dean grinned as he got in car and drove to work. His family and work would be a good distraction for him.

Close to twenty minutes later, Dean opened the door the auto body shop and couldn't stop rolling his eyes if he tried. Everyone was dressed for work, but no-one was working. They were all sitting around the waiting room but looked up from what they were doing when he walked in. Dean was tied between wanting to love them and wanting to smother them.

"How was it?" his dad jumped off the couch asking.

"It went fine," Dean calmly said, pulling the door close behind him. His father didn't look too convinced. "His teacher already likes him." Dean pretended not to notice to smirks he got.

"Atta boy," his dad said. Dean shot his a skeptical look.

"Shouldn't you all be working?" Dean tiredly asked. He was starting to sound like a broken record. It was a wonder in itself that they made any money with the amount of time they spent sitting around waiting for him.

"Shop just opened not too long ago," Bobby pointed out with a lip twitch. Dean sent him a mild glare.

"I'm pretty sure there are cars out back that needs to be fixed for pick up," Dean dryly said.

His dad rolled his eyes at him and said, "Which can wait for a little while. Henry's first day can't."

"He just got to school," Dean shot back in disbelief. "There's nothing to talk about. And there won't be anything until I get home."

"Was he nervous?" his dad went on asking

"No," Dean answered, walking past them and into the workshop. He stopped by the small white fridge they had there to put the container with leftover lasagne he had in there, ignoring there sputtering and shuffling feet. He reached over to his right and grabbed his own black overall and quickly got into it. Dean then bent down to grab his tool box then walked over to the Mercedes Benz he was working one. Someone had to start, and he didn't get why they couldn't work and talk. "Nervousness was the last thing on Henry's mind." Dean smirk when he heard the telltale sounds of tools clanging together.

Dean was too busy worrying that he never realized how brave his little man actually was. Not once did Henry hide behind him or Cas. He hugged them goodbye and walked into a room filled with other kids than may not necessarily welcome. Dean mentally shrugged. Their loss. And if Henry was brave enough to open himself up to rejection then Dean could learn to trust Henry would be fine--both of them would fine.

"Were you?" Charlie and his dad said together.

Dean could either lie and weasel his way out of this, or he could be honest and spare himself to incredulity and subsequent interrogation that would follow. "All last week." He dropped his tool box to open the hood of the car.

"You seem pretty calm now," Charlie cautiously remarked as if one wrong word, and he would snap.

"You have Cas and Henry to thank for that," Dean said, frowning down at the car in front of him before remembering he still need to replace the spark plugs and install a new fuel injector. "And stop acting like one wrong word, and I'll fall apart." Dean turned around to dare her to deny it. She huffed and looked away.

"What about Cas?" Benny surprised him by asking. The bags under his eyes were less pronounced meaning the twins were sleeping more, or Andrea and he finally got accustomed to lack of sleep--probably the latter.

"Cas is fine," Dean shrugged. "He kinda has experience with this kind of thing."

His dad, who was standing closer to him, his one toolbox in hand, said, "Isn't it, you know, different? With Henry being what he is to him?"

Dean arched an expectant eyebrow. What exactly did they think Henry was to Cas. When he got no answer, Dean said, "Sure, Cas isn't entirely thrilled about it, but he-we both know this is what Henry wants, so we'll keeps our fears to ourselves and give this to him. And Cas gets to spend the entire afternoon with him afterwards." He tried to not sound bitter about that.

"You could--"

"No," Dean said, raising a hand and cutting his father off. "This is something I have to get used to because sooner than we think Henry's going to start regular school, and he'll be gone for the whole day, and I need to be okay with that. So, as much as I would love to have the rest of the day off, I need to accept that my son's growing up, and he'll be okay. Plus, it's not like I'll never get to see him. I see him every morning before work and every night when I get home and on weekends."

None of them responded. They merely gave him strange, assessing looks.

"That's...that's real mature of you," his dad finally spoke up. "I'm proud of you." Dean felt his face heat up, and his heart swell. "Your mom was close to pulling you out of school and homeschooling you herself."

Dean gave a booming laugh that drowned out the others. "Don't think it didn't cross my mind," Dean chuckled. He then continued in a more somber tone, "I really am fine. So, don't worry so much." As much as he may complain about their meddling, Dean would hate for them to stop caring so much. And he would never want them to think he didn't appreciate how much they cared.

"Force of habit," his dad shrugged, embarrassed.

Dean's own shoulders sank. It was something entirely different knowing how much one's past could affect those around him or her. Out of everyone in his life, his parents were the ones prone to most closely watch the lives of their kids. And Dean knew what they constantly saw wasn't the best. Unlike before, Dean wasn't quick to blame himself for that. A majority of the pain and struggle he had to go through wasn't his fault. He tried his absolute best to do the right thing. It wasn't his fault others refused to see that.

"I know," Dean earnestly said. "We're parents," Dean shrugged. "We can't help but worry. Just, don't worry so much about me. I'm okay-better than okay, actually. I have Henry; I have Cas--and I have you guys. If I'm ever in trouble, I know I have all you guys. I know you guys will be there for me. I have everything I could ever want."

Dran ignored his own rapidly beating heart to take in their stunned expressions. It was no surprise that Charlie's eyes were shinier than usual, but it was a shock to see Bobby's. Benny was giving him a wan smile. His father just stared at him.

"Yeah..." his dad finally said in a choked voice. "Yeah, you're okay."

The two of them stared at each other with small smiles on their face. It felt nice being able to finally give at least one of his parents some form of peace of mind after years of uncertainty and pain.

The moment didn't last long once Charlie opened her mouth. " I still can't believe that he talked about his feelings without one of us forcing him to." The two of them shot her exasperated glares while the rest rolled their eyes at her.

"How about we actually get to work?" Bobby said. Dean couldn't agree with him more. It was her turn to roll her eyes, but she did went back to the waiting room with a smile on her face.

Dean shot his dad a fond smile, which he returned, before turning back to the task at hand. Dean only hoped that it would be enough to keep his mind occupied.

~~~✴~~~

After Dean opened himself to his family, the rest of his was pretty uneventful. He managed to change the spark plugs and install a new fuel injector. He spend the rest of the time, up until lunch, focusing on car that came to the shop from people who need their oil change to this one guy who need an entirely new engine. Lucky for him, they had the model his BMW needed, or they would have been forced to keep his car in the shop until the could get a need engine delivered. At least Dean was busy installing that to not have to worry about his son, and the woman who was complaining to Benny about how it wasn't her fault her car broke down. It was all her fault. They didn't flood her carburetor.

Lunch was slightly more difficult that Dean thought it would be. Simply due to the fact that he couldn't go home to have lunch with Cas and Henry. Cas was teaching his Intro to Religious Studies class, and Henry was having lunch with his classmates. Sure, Dean could have gone to the school and take Henry out for lunch, but Cas spent a lot of time making him Macaroni 'n Cheese for lunch with apple slices and chewy chocolate chip cookies for him to choose from. And Dean wouldn't put it past Missouri to hit him on the back of the head and throw him out if he did show up.

Dean took one more look at the text Cas sent him earlier.

_Cas: Just picked Henry up. And I think I lost count of the amount of times I told him to breathe. Lol._

A fond smile rested on his face as he tried to wipe the smudge on his phone. It was 1:46 P.M., and Cas and Henry were probably almost home already. Dean gave his phone one last swipe before pocketing it. The sooner he got finished with today's work, the sooner he could get home to the two people his mind couldn't seem to help but think about. Hopefully, Cas wouldn't mind foregoing making dinner, and they could just order in and just snuggle up on the couch.

"Dean!" Charlie called out, drawing Dean out from his musing. "Can you come here for a second."

"This better be important," Dean yelled back, staring at the car in front of him that needed a new coat of paint.

"It is!" Dean shook his head before heading to the waiting room. The guy said dark-red paint, but Dean really wished he would have been more specific on how dark he wanted it. Or at least came with a picture of what shade red he wanted. Dean hated when people left the guess work up to him. He wasn't a mind reader; He couldn't get into their heads. He--

"DAD!"

Dean started but quickly composed himself in time to catch the blur the ran up to him. Dean crushed Henry to his chest, cupping the back of his head. "Buddy," Dean whispered, voice cracking, as Henry pulled at his shirt. Dean's legs almost gave out when Henry sighed. And the urge to hold on and never let go came back with a vengeance, further weighing down his heart that was already filled up with relief and love.

"Dad," Henry complained while feebly pushing back Dean. Dean held on for a little longer, knowing Henry wouldn't mind despite the protest. Dean finally pulled back to gaze at the shining face of his son and beamed a smile back. Cas had been right--Dean had nothing worry about, and he was doing right by his son.

"So, how was your first day?" Dean asked, not being able to stop from reaching out and stroking his son's cheek.

If it was even possible, Henry's smile got impossibly wider, and he went off listing everything he did from the minute Cas and he dropped him off at school to Ms.Matthews sitting him by the window to sharing his cookies with his new friend, Eddie. All throughout his retelling of his day, Henry made sure to pause to see if Dean was paying attention. As if Dean would ever give up the chance to regale his son with his undivided attention, even if he had to assure Henry that he heard him the first time that Eddie didn't like nap time.

"Oh!" Henry exclaimed halfway through telling Dean about how Eddie and he pretended to be asleep during nap time until Ms. M, as Henry called her, caught them. Henry started squirming, forcing Dean to put him down. Henry turned to Cas, who was silently watching them. Henry bounded up to him and held his hand out. Cas snorted before handing the impatient child his bookbag. Henry rummaged through it before triumphantly pulling out a zip lock bag containing a single cookie. Henry all but shoved the bag to Cas, who fondly rolled his eyes and accepted the bag, before facing Dean and silently demanding he pick him up again, which Dean gladly did.

"I saved you a cookie!" Henry excitedly said, holding up the bag. Dean ignored the awwing coming from his right and took the bag.

"Thanks, bud," Dean replied with a kiss to his forehead. Henry beamed at Dean before frowning. "What?" Henry didn't respond but glared at the bag, like it personally offended him, then at Dean. Realization dawned on Dean. "Oh." Henry rolled his eyes at him, and Dean was trying to think whom Henry picked that up from, so Dean could curse their very existence. Henry grabbed the bag back, opened it and presented the cookie to Dean with an irritated look on his face. Dean rolled his eyes, belatedly realizing Henry most likely got it from him, but took the cookie, much to Henry's pleasure and the amusement of the other two adult, if their snickering was anything to go by.

Dean took a bite of the cookie before holding it out to Henry, who stared at it pensively before taking it and finishing it off. Dean widely grinned at Henry as he brushed off the crumbs on the side of Henry's mouth and shirt. Henry happily welcomed the attention, and Dean hungrily soaked up the joy his son was beaming his way. Father and son regarded each other until Cas snapped them out of their reverie.

"Henry, wasn't there something else you wanted to give your dad?" Cas promoted, and Henry frowned before his eyes got comically wide.

"Yeah!" Henry yelled, and Dean placed him down.

"Why don't you take it over to the table," Cas suggested, holding out the book bag, which Henry quickly grabbed and ran over to the table.

"I thought you were taking him home," Dean said before Cas could even open his mouth. Dean thought that was the plan, after all. Cas would take Henry home, and Dean would see them at there later on.

"Hmm?" Cas mused, tapping his chin with his index finger. "Funny, I don't remember saying that."

Dean growled under his breath before grabbing Cas by the waist, pulling Cas flushed against him and sealing their mouths together, subsequently swallowing Cas's squeak of surprise. Dean reveled in his smugness at being one of the very few people who could genuinely surprise Cas. Dean couldn't help but smile when Cas did. Dean was about to deepened the kiss when a thoroughly annoyed voice interrupted them, breaking them apart.

"Cas, quit hogging Dad," Henry complained, hands on his hips and an irked expression on his face.

"Sorry," Cas lamely apologized, which seemed to be enough for Henry since lost his vexed expression, and pulled out of Dean's hold, much to Dean's bereft. "You better go before he starts up a storm."

"Cas!" Henry whined, sending the adults in the room into a fit of giggles.

Dean soon calmed down and walked over to his pouting son and plopped down on the couch. Henry quickly snatched up the construction paper on the table and scampered up onto Dean until he was sitting on Dean's lap with his back to Dean's chest. Dean dropped a kiss on the top of Henry's head before turning his sights on the paper in Henry's hands.

Dean's head fell back, and he stared at the white wall above, asking for strength. "Henry, what is that?" Dean hesitantly asked, even though he knew what it was.

"It's Uncle Sammy's pool!" Henry thrillingly said.

Dean refrained from groaning as he looked down at the large, blue rectangle Henry had drawn with two stick people in side--two people with very similar colored hair and vastly different in size. Standing not too far from the 'pool' was another stick figure with dark hair, and next to him was another figure with hair hanging down to where his hand were sticking out.

Dean shot Cas a glare when he muffled his laughter. The bastard knew about this all along.

"Why did draw Uncle's Sammy's pool?" Dean found himself asking.

"'Cus I like Uncle's Sammy's pool," Henry slowly answered, looking dubiously at his dad as if he should already know this. And Dean did. Saying Henry was obsessed with Sam's pool would be putting it lightly. The entirety of Henry's summer was either spent in his or Cas's arms or in Sam's pool. Sometimes, it was in either of their arms while in Sam's pool.

Charlie and Cas lost the battle containing their laughter and let out two boisterous laughs. Dean glower at them, but they weren't looking at him.

"Can we go see Uncle Sammy?" Henry sweetly asked, and the two almost fell over laughing and received glares from both Winchesters.

"We can go this weekend," Dean promised. Henry pouted at him. "Uncle Sammy and Aunty Jess are both working late this week, buddy. So we can't this week."

"That's okay," Henry told him. "We can play in the pool without them," he finished, sounding like that made all the sense in the world. It was Dean's time to laugh, drowning out the rest.

"I'll call and see if they won't mind," Dean laughed, and as a reward, Henry snuggled up with him. Dean hugged him tight, relishing having him before the rest if his family descend on them to eagerly here about Henry's first day.

~~~✴~~~

Dean did acclimate to having to send Henry off to a place where Henry wasn't in his immediate reach. To which, Cas was greatly relieved by. And if Dean had become a little more clingy than usual, no-one made a move to mention it, especially when Henry seemed to welcome the added attention with open arms and eagerness.

Cas was beginning to think maybe Henry needed the extra attention. No matter Henry was over excited to start school, the change in environment could be jarring at times, and Henry needed the safety and comfort Dean could provide--had been providing since Henry's birth.

Dean pleading "Henry" broke Cas out of his reverie. Dean was standing at the doorway into the kitchen, holding a small pair of black pants and a red T-shirt. The constant recurrence of this scene had Cas smiling fondly towards Dean's back.

Cas craned his neck from his place at the island to look past Dean's shoulders to see one Henry Winchester in nothing but white briefs, a wide grin splitting his face.

"Catch me, Daddy!" their little Prince shouted in sonorous voice, a pealing laughter cutting through the slient house when Dean moved forward. Henry dashed into the living room, his laughter resounding with every step.

"Henry!"

Cas gave his own face splitting grin at the pure desperation in Dean's voice. Dean had been trying to convince Henry to put on his clothes for the past ten minutes--give or take a minute or two--to no anvil. Cas would have help as he normally did, but he was too busy sorting through the array of pictures of onesies Anna has sent him. Cas understood this was her first child--he really did--and she was excited, but having him sort through fives different onesies of varying colors was driving him insane. He dread to think what Jeff was going through. Even thinking about it now was enough to send a shiver through his body.

Henry zoomed out of the living room from the other door leading to the kitchen and over to where Cas was sitting and hiding behind him, all the while covering his tiny little mouth with his hands to contain the sounds that threatened to escape him. Cas fondly shook his head and faced his computer screen just as Dean entered the kitchen.

"Where is he?" came Dean's gruff inquiry.

Keeping a straight face towards his computer, Cas answered with, "I think I heard him climbing up the stairs."

"Henry!" Dean hollered, and Cas's façade broke as Dean sprinted towards the staircase.

Cas gentle combed his fingers through Henry's hair, and Henry lost his battle and divulged into a fit of giggles. The sight of Henry's beaming face warmed Cas from the inside out.

"Cas!" And Cas dissolved into his own fit of giggles, right along with Henry, before Henry was off again.

The first thing Dean did when he entered the kitchen was glare at Cas while Cas smiled sweetly at him. Before Dean could open his, to no doubt reprimand him, the doorbell rang.

"I'll get that," Cas cheekily said, getting up and walking to a far from amused Dean Winchester. When Cas got to the doorway, his back came into contact with the frame. Dean had a hold on both Cas's shoulders and was looking down at his with a heated gaze. "Dean," Cas feebly complained. Dean smirked, the bastard, before crashing his lips to Cas's. Just before Cas could open his mouth, Dean pulled back and smirked with a frustratingly smug expression then walked away. "I hate you," Cas breathlessly said, causing Dean to burst out laughing, before going to the front door.

When he opened the front door, a middle aged man with black hair and grey eyes and dressed in brown shorts and a brown shirt stared t him. "Mr. Novak?" he questioned.

"Yes," Cas slowly said.

"I have a package here for you." It was then that cas spotted the large box sitting by the man's off. Cas raised a suspicious eyebrow at the book, even though curiosity was coursing through him, and accepted the clipboard and pen offered to him.

"Catch me!" he heard Henry laughed before Henry attached himself to his legs, grinning up at Cas. Henry's smile turned shy when he noticed the man at the door and tried to hide behind Cas.

"Cute kid you got there," the delivery guy said.

Cas opened his mouth to refute the claim but stopped himself for a part of him knew he would be lying to himself. "Thanks," he said instead and bid the man a good day before picking up the box.

"Who's that from?" Dean asked with a ridiculously affectionate look on his face, making Cas flush. There was no doubt in his mind Dean heard all of that.

Cas shrugged around the pleasure rushing through him and walked into the living room with Henry holding onto his pants' leg. He placed the box on the coffee table and sat down on the couch, glancing at the return address. "It's from Gabriel," Cas told them, equal parts intrigued and relieved. Intrigued in the sense that it's been a while since Gabriel sent him something, and relieved in the sense that it wasn't from Anna. He would put it past her to send him baby stuff to gather his opinion on.

Dean saw this as the perfect opportunity to strike, and the neck of Henry's shirt went past Henry's head in one swift move.

"Dad," Henry complained but let his Dad continue dressing him while Cas ripped the tape off the box.

Cas opened the box to see a layer of cardboard covering what was underneath that had "This is for Henry," written in all caps. Cas's eyebrows met his hairline as dread was slowly filling him up. The fact that it was Halloween further fueled his sense of foreboding.

"What's that?" Henry asked, leaning on the table to peer into the box while Dean plopped down on the couch with tired sigh, head resting in the back of the couch.

"Gabriel sent you something," Cas distractedly answered, looking at the box as if it contained some bomb or something.

"Uncle Gabe?" Henry softly inquired, garnering Cas's attention and Dean's, who shot up and looked wide eyed at his son.

"Umm..." Cas said looking from Henry's expectant face to Dean's shocked and slightly colored one. "Yeah..."

Confirmation was all Henry needed before he was throwing himself at the box to see what Uncle Gabe, apparently, had sent him. When it appeared he was having a difficult time getting the cardboard off, Cas helped him out, even though he had half the mind to just throw the box away. But that would greatly upset Henry, and Cas was too wrapped around the little Prince's finger to do that.

"I'm going to kill him," were the first words out of Cas's mouth when he saw the contents of the box. Before Cas was a number of jars that were filled with the brim with an assortment of candies from gummy bears to chocolate balls. Gabriel's death would be the most drawn out affair in history.

"Why?" Henry asked in a small and utterly confused voice as Dean sat there gaping at the reason for some of the torture methods running through Cas's mind.

"Just ignore me," Cas said, shaking his head. Henry have his a dubious look before looking at the box with poorly disguised awe.

' _What the hell?_ ' Dean mouthed.

 _'I'm going to murder him_ ,' Cas mouthed back.

"Where did he get all of this?" Dean said out loud this time.

Cas frowned at him. "Gabriel owns a candy shop...and bakery," Cas added at the end. He thought Dean knew this. Apparently, judging by the astonishment on Dean's face, he didn't.

"Oh," he exclaimed. "Why is he sending all of this?"

Cas sighed, silently cursing Gabriel's name. "Gabriel may or may not have seen Henry's attachment to Balthazar as a slight against him." At Dean's confused expression, Cas continue, "Kids tend to like him more than Balthazar, so Henry liking Balthazar more than him is eating away at him."

Dean had a pensive look on his face, clearly mulling over what Cas had said, before his was replaced with surprise. "Cas," Dean slowly said, and Cas stopped from winching, "is Gabriel bribing my son?"

"So to speak."

"Should we be expecting something from Balthazar?" Dean asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I highly doubt it," Cas answered. "He wouldn't want to risk Balthazar sending something better." Dean sent him an incredulous look, and Cas shrugged. His brothers could be extremely silly given the opportunity.

Dean sighed. "What about the rest of them?"

"Anna's too busy getting ready for her own and not stupid enough to stoop to there level, Lucifer isn't a big fan of kids, and Michael also too busy getting ready for his own," Cas said, ignoring how his throat closed up when he mentioned Lucifer and Michael.

"But I like Uncle Gabe and Uncle Balthy the same," Henry quietly said, frowning thunderously.

"Uncle Balthy?" Cas asked, lips twitching, while pulling Henry towards him.

"Yeah. Uncle Gabe said to call him that." Cas rolled his eyes, and Dean moved closer, snickering to himself. "Cas?" Henry called out, looking up at him. "Can I have some candy? Pretty please?" he sweetly asked.

"But we're going Trick or Treating later on. Don't you want to save room for that candy?" Henry pouted. "Fine. Go pick something." Henry scurried out of his hold, and Dean threw his head back, laughing. "I'm going to kill him." Dean snaked an arm around his waist and kissed his temple to appease him. Cas sulkingly grumbled, moving back and taking Dean with him. Henry scampered up ont his legs not too long after, holding out a jar filled with saltwater taffies with a coy smile on his face. "You sneaky little--" Cas cut himself off when Henry giggled and pressed his back to Cas's chest. Dean buried his face in Cas's neck to muffle his laughter.

Cas ignored his two amused Winchester, removed the jar from Henry's grip and opened it. For the time being, his urge to kill his brother was put on the back burner as he enjoyed the closeness until it was time for dinner and Trick or Treating.

~~~✴~~~

Cas adjust his bowtie for what may be the hundredth time before walking down the stairs.

"There you..." Dean trailed, and Cas gripped on the umbrella in his hand, trying not to feel self-conscious. He was dressed in a full tuxedo with a gray waistcoat under that Anna had specifically tailored to fit him like a second skin when she was trying to get him a date, the very same tux he wore whenever Anna or Kali took to him to some art opening. The two of them could never go by themselves, always dragging him along.

"Finally," Henry drastically moaned, causing Cas to roll his eyes. Cas did have to admit he looked rather cute in his Batman costume--his original Batman costume: gray body wear, black underwear, blue boots and gloves, black mask and a darker blue cape to top it all off. Heaven forbade Dean dressed his son in anything but the original. Dean himself was dressed in the original Robin costume: the signature red shirt with green sleeves, green underwear with green gloves and boots, pale tights, a yellow cape and black eye mask.

"Ready?" Cas asked, willing his face to not heat up under Dean's heated scrutiny, taking out the monocle from his pocket and putting it on and adjusting his top hat.

Henry didn't answer but grabbed hold of the doorknob, twisting and willing it to open. Cas huffed and walked down the final step to help him when it appeared Dean wasn't going to. Henry was out the door the second it opened.

"Dean!" Cas squeaked when Dean grabbed his ass. Dean simply chuckled and followed Henry out. Cas locked up while grumbling under his breath about 'Impressionable Youths.' He then followed them over to the Andrews, Dean's 'hippie' neighbors.

Henry gave him an impatient look when he got there,  and  he sent a sheepish look back. Dean held him up to ring the doorbell. "Trick or Treat," Henry said when the door opened, putting on all the charm and batting his eyelashes as well. Henry obviously planned on stockpiling as much candy as possible, ignoring the mountain of candy they had back home, candy Cas was still debating what to do with.

"Well, if it isn't Batman," Mrs. andrews cooed before turning a mischievous smile onto Dean. "Boy Wonder." Dean pressed his lips into a thin line, and Cas covered his laugh with a cough but got a glare nonetheless. Cas shamelessly winked at him. "Penguin?" she hesitantly question.

"Yes, Ma'am. I have been very bad, and Mr. Batman...and _Boy Wonder_ \--" Cas smirked, "--have decided to keep an eye on me, so that I may stay out of trouble," Cas recited before looking down at Henry, who was nodding his head in approval.

Mrs. Andrews bit her lips to stop from laughing. "Very smart of you, Batman," she praised. "And all protectors of the night deserve a reward." She presented the bowl of candy with a flourish. Henry eyed it for a couple of second before taking the _Milky way_.

"Thank you!" Henry shouted before grabbing one of Dean's hands and one of Cas's and pulling them away, the two adults shouting their goodbyes over their shoulders.

Cas mused to himself how he would gladly let Henry pull him any where he liked for a majority of the evening as they went from house to house. And more than once, he couldn't help but think how he could get used to hearing Henry's laugh rise above the chatter and laughter of the other Trick or Treaters and their parents. It was all worth it especially when Dean and he would flush everything someone would comment on how wonderful their family was. Sure in the back of his mind, Cas had labelled them a family, but it was a whole different feeling to have other people see it too. And it went a long way into silencing the voice in the back of his mind that said he couldn't keep this.

But the thing that really hammered the voice in the back of his mind into deafening silence came later on when Henry spotted his nana's house and let out a resounding laugh before grabbing Dean's hand. Dean let out his own reverberating laugh before turning around an leveling Cas with a face splitting grin and taking his hand in a firm grip, dragging him laughing alone with them. Then and there, Cas knew he would follow them anywhere.

When they finally got to the house, they were red faced and huffing while Mary fondly rolled her eyes at them.

"Trick or Treat, Nana!" Henry excitedly cheered, not sounding out of breath in the slightest.

"Hi, sweety," she smiled, taking his hand and leading him inside.

"I'm getting too old for this," Dean wheezed.

Cas stood up straight and said, "Chin up, Boy Wonder." And in an act of pure retribution for the teasing he endured during the entire day, Cas smacked Dean's ass, eliciting a choked sound from him, and walked into the house but not before hearing some high-pitched giggles coming from outside.

"Trick or Treat!" Cas heard them sing, followed by a groan and more giggling.

"Dean, come get the candy," Mary yelled as soon as Cas walked into the kitchen. Dean glowered at him when he came and took the bowl his mom offered him. Mary, of course, ignored his sour face and focused her attention on a babbling Henry, who was on the countertop.

"I'm going to get you back for that," Dean whispered in his ear, almost making his jump out of his skin. Dean grinned at the glare Cas gave him. Dean put the bowl on the countertop, far away from Henry, before walking over to Cas's side and snaking his arm around Cas's waist, holding onto his hip and slowly caressing it with his thumb. Cas suppressed the urge to shiver, even though there were multiple layers of clothing between Dean's thumb and his hip, and elbowed Dean, who pulled him closer instead.

"Did you guys have nice time?" Mary eventually asked them after Henry had quiet down and was eating some of his candy. Cas kept a watchful eye on Henry to stop him from overdoing it, which was necessary considering how many taffies he had earlier.

"Yeah," Dean answered for them, no longer torturing Cas but was sitting on a chair near the island with both arms around Cas's waist. Cas couldn't imagine anyplace else he would want to be.

Mary arched an eyebrow at Cas, who snorted but parroted what Dean said. Like all the times before the two of them when off trading stories about their students until Dean interrupted them.

"What's that list for?" Dean asked, nodding in the direction of the fridge where a sheet of paper was help up by a 'Welcome to Lawrence' magnet.

"Oh, that's not a list. I'm just tweaking some of the recipes for Thanksgiving this year."

"Why?"

Mary rolled her eyes but answered, "Because I can." Dean glared at her, and Cas shook his head at him. "I got some advice this year--" she looked pointedly at Cas, who blushed, "--and some of them need to be changed since we added someone new to the family."

Cas's breathing hitched low enough that only Dean heard it, who squeezed him tight around the middle. This was further proof that he could have this little family with Dean. Family was everything to Dean, and if his family didn't like Cas, there was no way in hell Cas would force Dean to stay with him. Cas loved Dean too much to do that to him. Right now he was feeling loved and accepted, something he always felt when anyone of them treated him like family.

"Since you're here, you could help me with it," Mary went one, unaware of what she was doing to Cas, and left her spot to go retrieve her list.

"I would love to," Cas said, voice thick. Mary beamed at him. He would really loved to.

~~~✴~~~

Cas should have expected the other shoe to drop at some point, but everything was going so well. He was getting used to his new job. Dean and he were falling that much more in love with each other, if that was even possible. Henry was loving school more and more, and his friendship with Eddie was growing. (Playdates were frequent, and Dean only complained once about them being mostly on Saturdays.)The Winchester Clan had stopped dubbing their household as 'Dean, Henry and the hot guest' to 'The Three Musketeers.' Both names had Cas raising an eyebrow at Dean's family, who had no shame when they told him. Though they were partially drunk at the time.

Cas did feel bad when he asked what they used to call them before and got haunted looks and a simple 'Dean and Henry.' He made an effort to hug Dean and Henry a little tighter that day.

Cas should have thrown out the box of candy when he had first gotten it. Then he wouldn't have been in front of Sam's practice, handing him a jar filled with M&M's.

"I was supposed to give you this before," Cas explained, hoisting Henry farther up on his hip, who grumbled but kept a firm grip on Cas's collar, "but I forgot. And seeing as I was going this way already, I decided to give this to you before you started working."

"Umm..." Sam said, looking from Cas to the jar that was forced into his hand.

Cas sighed before explaining further. "Jess told me about your obsession with M&M's. And how you eat a ton of them when you're stressed. I thought you would want to keep them in your office, in that little fridge you bought for yourself."

"I'm not obsessed," Sam sullenly said.

Cas snorted. "You're welcome, Sam."

"Thanks," Sam said, looking chagrined. Cas smiled kindly at him. Next to Mary, Sam was Cas's second favorite person from Dean's family. He was intelligent and surprisingly easy to talk to.

The fear of losing his head was the reason Cas hadn't mentioned this to either John or Charlie.

Chatter from some distance away pulled him from his musing. Sam, who happened to hear the same chatter he did, turned around, giving Cas a clear view of Sam's boss, Mr. Howard, and another man--a man who was able to cause Cas's heart to hammer way amd his blood to run cold, even if he as staring at a back. The thunderous roaring in his ears drowned out all the sound around him: the passing cars, the shrills of birds, the footsteps of busy bystanders. But that wasn't entirely true. One sound did make it to his ears, a deafening orotund voice Cas had come to know.

"Cas..."

Cas almost missed his name being called had it not been for the steady tapping on his collarbone. And Sam really shouldn't blame him. Everything sounded off and oh-so-far away.

"I should get going," Cas faintly said, voice sounding hollow. "Bye, Sam." Cas didn't wait for a farwell. He simply sprinted to his car and hastily got Henry into his car seat, kissing his forehead to apologize for the less than gently treatment. Henry had already been miffed about giving away his candy, and Cas's cowardice was doing very little in way of appeasing him.

Cas got in the car and pulled away from the tiny ripple that brought his world down. So lost in his head, he scarcely remembered the drive to the grocery store and back to his house, something that was lost on Henry, who frowned and prodded whenever Cas paid little attention to him. The forced half-smiles Cas gave to his questions only proved to frustrate Henry all the more, which would explain why Cas indulged Henry more in attempt to distract until he could get his bearings.

Cas couldn't get his bearings under wrap, appearing fitful and uneasy, which would explain the entire cooked rack of lamb sitting on a platter on the island, and why he had a broad knife in one hand and whipped cream in the other, staring at the Double Chocolate Torte in front on him. He was pointedly avoiding looking at the two small Sausage, Red Onion and Wild Mushroom Pizzas. Okay, one of them had wild mushrooms since Henry hated mushrooms with a passion.

"Are you okay?" Dean cautiously asked, eying the array of foods in front of him and the knife Cas had in a death grip with a concerned expression. Cas felt his heart twinged.

"I'm fine," Cas lied and watched as Dean's eyebrows rose up. Either Cas was terrible at lying, or Dean and he had gotten to that point in their relationship--however short it may be--where they could read each other, which would account for the flash of insecurity he saw in Dean's eyes.

"Cas," Dean defeatedly said, just shy of pleading. Cas never wanted Dean to sound like that, especially since Dean had been so good so far as not blaming himself. Just as Cas opened his mouth to confess to Dean, the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it," Cas said instead, seeing this as the perfect distraction as  an excuse as he gathered his thoughts, and speeding to the door, smiling at the sounds filtering out of the living room. He would find some way to apologize to Henry for not paying much attention to him. Cas was beginning to realize that both of his Winchesters hoard his attention like gold. "Sam! Jess!" he exclaimed when he opened the door, pleased and slightly irritated by their visit.

"Hey, Cas," he greeted, a bit sheepish. "Sorry about showing up like this."

"Don't worry about it," Cas was quick to assure him. "We're going to have dinner in a few minutes. Come on in." Cas made his way back to the kitchen, trusting them to let themselves in and close the door. Though, he did note an additional pair of footsteps, probably Charlie or Ash.

"Hey, Dean," Cas heard Sam and Jess offer up as greeting as he took his place at the island, once again focused on the cake in front of him.

"Who's this?" Dean asked, and Cas's head snapped up and followed Dean's line of sight.

"Michael." The name slipped out without his consent. Michael was still in the dark-brown suit from earlier, the irony of this being the same suit Cas gifted him wasn't lost on him: bespoke because Michael wouldn't wear anything else--a birthday present. Cas was finally able to see what he missed before: the black and white striped tie, his rumpled hair (normally combed back), red, puffy eyes, and worry line around his eyes and mouth. His father's once marbled angel looked worn with age.

"Hello, Bluebird," he affectionately said, a soft smile ghosting across his face.

Cas saw red.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Cas harshly snarled. He know his tone had the desired effect when not only Michael flinched but the three Winchesters as well. A part of him felt terrible about doing that to them, but Michael had no right being here.

"Blue--"

"Don't you fucking call me that!" Cas snapped loudly snapped, rage building make his blood boil, heating up every part of him and clouding his mind to anything but the hurt running concurrent to his rage. Sam and Jess were shooting him wided eyed looks while Dean looked torn between demanding answers, rushing over to comfort him and throwing Michael out on his ass. Right now, Cas might just help him.

"Blu-Castiel," Michael quickly corrected himself when Cas sent him an incensed look, meaning to make him step back, but Michael inched forward, trepid fingers reaching out. Cas was the one to inch back, and the broken and wounded looked didn't quell Cas own broken and wounded soul. Not even Michael misty eyes could be penance enough for all the tears Cas shed by himself. "Castile, I'm sorry," Michael apologized in a battered, despairing whisper that cut through the silent kitchen, save for Cas's labored breathing.

"You're sorry?" Cas said with a grim, mocking laugh. The three Winchesters were looking at him in disbelief, like they had when they first met him, like they didn't quite know what to make of him--the uncertainty clawed at him. _This was what he was afraid of_. There were very few people who could make Cas feel this deeply, and Michael was chief among them. And in this moment, Michael was upheaving the most deplorable ones: anger, hate--despair.

"Ca-"

"You threw me out!" Cas vehemently spat, knowing fully well that wasn't the entire reason for his pain. Michael recoiled back as if he had been burned, shamefaced, as the others drew in sharp breaths.

"Cas?" a tiny voice called out, and all their heads whirled around to the source of that voice. Henry was standing in the doorway leading to the living room with, switching his wary face from Michael to Cas. The anger Cas felt towards Michael was snuffed out of him, filling with a sense of dread. Cas's heart crack right down the center. God, he never wanted Henry to see him like this. For the first time since Michael got here, Cas felt his eyes stinging.

While Cas was breaking inside, Dean rushed over to gather Henry up in his arms, rubbing his hand up and down Henry's back. Henry continued to look at Cas as if he didn't know what to expect of him.

The atmosphere turned stifling, and Cas had to get out of there. Tt was getting harder to breathe while he tried to contained his unshed tears. Cas bolted towards the door.

"Cas--" Michael started to say whilst moving forward but was topped by Sam, who fan one of his enormous hands over Michael's chest.

"Thanks, Sam," Cas whispered, a barely audible response, as he ducked under Sam's arm. Cas sprinted towards the stairs, taking at least two and a time to get to his bedroom. Once there, he sat of the bed and drew his knees close to his chest, folded his arms over them, and rested his head as wretched sobs took hold of his body.

Cas wasn't sure how long his grief kept him in state of tears, heavy wheezing and snot before a tiny 'Cas' pulled his out of his anguish. Cas lifted up his head to see Henry standing at his bedroom door with a doleful look on his face, and Cas fell that much more into his despondent state. He tried offering up a smile, despite how hollow he felt inside, but it wasn't forthcoming.

Henry scurried over to the bed until he was kneeling in front of Cas. He purposefully wiped away the tears streaming down Cas face with his palms. "Don't cry, Cas," Henry all but begged. "Daddy will beat up the bad man for you."

Cas couldn't help it; he threw his head back and wetly laugh at the serious tone Henry's voice took on. "Your dad and I are really going to need to have talk about what's appropriate to say and do around you," Cas laughed as he stretch out both of his legs out and drew Henry into a warm embrace.

"Beating up your dick of a brother wouldn't be inappropriate," a gruff and irked voice said from the doorway as Henry snuggled up more into Cas.

"Dean," Cas weakly chastised the man at the door, who had his arms across over his chest and a scowl on his face.

Dean deflated with a long, tired sigh before making his way over to the two of them. He sat down with his back to the headboard, wrapping an arm around Cas's shoulders and drawing the close. Dean said nothing, merely rested his cheek on Cas's head when Cas rested his head on his chest. Cas was immensely grateful for that. He knew Dean had a lot of questions, but he needed the solace these quiet times with Dean and Henry always seemed to bring him. Cas had a feeling Dean knew this as well.

It spoke volumes about how far Dean and he had come when Dean decided to break their silence the very second Cas was about to say something. "I gave Sam and Jess the entire rack of lamb," Dean quietly informed.

"That's good," Cas said, taking Dean's free hand and lacing their fingers together. "I don't even know why I made it in the first place." Cas lightly squeezed Dean's hand in a silent 'Thank you' for avoiding any talks about Michael, for now. One of the many reasons, Cas believed Dean had never been a terrible boyfriend.

"And I took out the Ziti." Cas tensed, and Dean added. "I had a feeling you forgot about that."

"Thank you," Cas said and got a squeeze as a response before they lapsed into another stretch of silence. "Sorry you had to throw my brother out," Cas said trying to add some levity into his voice.

"Actually," Dean said a small chuckle, "Sam was the one to throw him out. He's really sorry about bringing him in the first place."

"He doesn't need to be," Cas quickly assured Dean. "Sam didn't know. I was the coward who ran away instead of just facing his problem."

"Cas," Dean exhaustedly said, and Cas vigorously shook his head, and Henry whined a little. One look told Cas that Henry was slowly drifting off to sleep. Cas kissed the top of his head as an apology while amusingly wondering what took him so long. Cas half-expected him to knock out before Dean even got home.

"I was," Cas said, getting back on topic. "I should have just talked to him when I first saw him today instead of letting it get this far."

"Cas, you could've never guessed he would've come here," Dean tried to reassure him.

"But I should've guessed he would've spotted me," Cas desperately tried to reason with him. Wasn't that why he was on edge since he saw Michael? Didn't some miniscule part of him remind him that it was only a matter of time before Michael found him? But why did it have to be now? When everything in his life was going so well. Why did Michael have to come now and disrupt that?

Why couldn't he have seen Cas didn't want to see him? What was the point of leaving Pontiac if Michael was going to follow him?

Among his rising anger, something occurred to Cas. "You didn't seem all that surprised when I said he threw me out."

Dean slowly exhaled before answering, "I alway had this feeling you weren't entirely truthful about why you came to Lawrence, and there were times when Gabriel, Balthazar and Anna would slip up and say things that made me wonder why would you ever want to leave the house you grew up in." He sighed again. "I guess, I was waiting for the answered. And I got it, even though I hoped it wouldn't be this."

"I'm sorry I never told you," Cas whispered, partly because he didn't want to wake Henry and partly because he was so worn out.

"There's nothing you have to apologize for," Dean fervently whispered back. "You did nothing wrong by not wanting to talk about what your brother did to you. And if you want, we can all forget this ever happened, and you never have to talk about it."

Cas turned his head and pressed his face into Dean's neck when he felt the waterworks starting up again. "I love you."

Dean gave gruff laugh. "I love you, too."

"I know," Cas sniffled as he moved back, wiping away the remaining tears, "which I why I need to tell you." Cas reached back and used his hand to stop whatever objection Dean was about to give. Cas took a deep breath before said, "Michael and Lucifer threw me out a month before I came to Lawrence," and drew his hand back in time to hear a sharp intake of air. "All because they thought I was sleeping with one of their competitors son and giving him information about some of their clients."

"What."

"My brothers and this man, Richard Jackson, have the two largest law firms in Pontiac and had this rivalry going on for years now," Cas went on, thumb caressing Dean's hand to help him calm down. "And I say rivalry in the loosest of terms--they practically hated each other, and everyone knew it." Cas gave a short laugh. "It was really ridiculous how everyone chose sides and got caught up in this rivalry to the point where they would start petty arguments with each other, but that's besides the point. The point is that they hated each other and was always at each other's throat."

"So it was only a matter of time before one of them tried some underhanded tactic to get ahead," Cas said, feeling somewhat proud that it wasn't his brothers who succumbed to this need to always be on top.

"The stealing?" Dean offered up.

"The stealing," Cas agreed. "Michael and Lucifer started noticing files were being misplaced and Jackson knew things he shouldn't have. There was a snake in the company. It was just no-one knew who. So my brothers started monitoring everyone: what they were doing at work to who they talked to. I never thought that suspicion would extend to our family." Cas's voice faltered a little at the end, old feelings of betrayal and hurt resurfacing. Dean's arm lowered to Cas's waist as the other draped itself around Henry's back. Their little Prince continued to let out small puffs of air and slept on.

"And I learned that the hard way one day when I was at this restaurant," Cas resumed when he got his voice and emotions under control. "Jackson's son, Liam, happened to be there at the same time and sat down at my table and tried talking to me. I kept telling him to back off, that I didn't want anything to do with him, but he wouldn't take no for an answer. I finally had enough when he reached over a kissed me. I got up and slapped him, and I should've known something was wrong when he grinned back at me." Cas could still remember the smug, satisfied grin he had one his face--how he moved back his black hair, leaned back and grinned.

"I got home as fast as I could before I did something else, but I should have stayed away," Cas said, downcast. "When I got there Michael and Lucifer were fuming at the ear, and Michael demanded to know where I was, and I should have told him, but all I said was, 'I was out.' That was when he threw his phone at me, and I saw the pictures of Liam kissing. Apparently, One of their partners, Zachariah, just happened to be there and took the picture."

Dean derisively snorted. "Convenient."

"Very," Cas dryly said. "He called Michael after he sent the picture talking about how cosy I was with Liam, and he even had Michael call up the restaurant, and some guy there told him I had been going there for weeks now to meet Liam. That was only my second time going there. Guess who recommended the restaurant?"

"Fucking bastard," Dean hissed through clenched teeth.

"I have been saying that for years," Cas concurred, "but Michael and Lucifer kept saying I was being paranoid, and Zachariah could be trusted, which was why they didn't believe a word I said, claiming I had it out for Zachariah. They then threw me out."

"I'm so sorry they did that to you, " Dean said, hugging his tighter.

"The fact that they threw me out didn't hurt," Cas told him. "I knew I wasn't going to live there forever. The fact that they believed Zachariah over me killed me." Cas harshly whispered that part. "They were acting as if they didn't know me, like they hadn't spent a majority of their lives raising me, like I would do something like that to them."

"What do mean 'raising you?'" Dean asked, cutting off the rage that was growing in Cas.

Cas took a deep breath to calm himself down. "Remember how I told you I look a lot like my mother?" Dean nodded. " Well, my dad couldn't handle that. He never could get over my mother's death, and the older I got and the more I looked like her, the more his grief took over him. He could barely even look at me, let alone hold me. Michael and Lucifer stepped up and took his place. They took care of me--they did everything for me."

"But I thought...?" Dean trailed off.

"I know what I told you guys, but my dad wasn't always like that," Cas informed him. "Up until I was six, my dad really had no idea how to deal with his grief and me. It wasn't until I was six and fell out of a tree and broke my arm that he finally pulled himself together and became that father you all know about. Before that, Michael and Lucifer acted in his place. So they basically ripped me heart out when they accused me of doing something like that to them. I have only every tried to make them proud as well as my dad, and they did that to me. It's why I didn't stay in Pontiac--it's why I moved here."

Cas didn't even know he was crying again until Dean's fingers wiped away his tears. Cas was thankful Dean didn't tell him how sorry he was. He simply held Cas closer and rested the head against the side of Cas's head.

"What are you going to do?" Dean asked after some time.

"Part of me wants to pretend he never came here and move on with our lives," Cas confessed, "but a bigger part of me wants to hear what he has to say. That bigger part sounds an awful lot like my father." Cas stopped talking for a while as Dean slowly ran the tip of his nose along the side of his neck and face, easing some of distress away. "I think I'm going to call him, so we can meet up, and I can hear what he has to say."

"I can come--"

Cas vehemently shook his head and said, "I need to do this by myself. I need them to know how much they hurt me."

"Okay," Dean said, not sounding very reassured but didn't press the matter any further.

"Thank you, Dean. For everything," Cas ardently said, not for the first time feeling truly blessed to have found Dean.

"You don't have to thank me," Dean replied. "I just want you to be happy."

Cas turned in Dean's hold--the fact that Henry not once stirred was telling of how used to he was to this situation--and gave Dean a long, lavished kiss. "I love you," Cas whispered against his lips when they pulled apart.

Dean audible exhaled and rested his forehead against Cas's as he brought Cas closer to him. "I love you, too."

And Cas was happy to forget about everything else in this moment as he held onto the two people he loved more than anything.

~~~✴~~~

Cas never did call Michael because he wasn't ready to hear his voice the next morning. Cas merely sent him a text with Dean's address and a time, after he unblocked Michael's number, of course.

Dean didn't object to Michael meeting him here, but he was far from happy about it. For one, Henry was going to be here, and secondly, Dean really wanted to be here for Cas. Dean never said a word about the arrangement, but it showed in the way he carried himself. His shoulders were stiff thought the entire morning, and he kept surreptitiously sneaking glances at Cas and Henry, as if he was trying to make sure they were both okay. Cas kept on wondering if Dean had the same fear as him about Michael disrupting what they had to the point where it would never be the same again.

Cas was quick to put out those doubts by allowing Dean to be overindulgent with the touches and kisses he gave, all the while trying to make this morning like the ones that were so used to.

Cas knew he had succeed when Dean's shoulder relaxed, and he allowed Cas and Henry out of his sights. Eventually, Dean was relaxed enough to tease his son and freely and openly laugh at the little pouts he got. And now that he got his bearings under control, Cas wasn't going to all Michael to ruin what he had, and he was going to face up to his brother, something Cas was grateful for when Michael finally did arrive.

Michael was in a far worse shape that Cas, who had Dean and Henry to help distract him and keep him in high spirits. Michael, on the other hand, had no-one with him. His eyes were more bloodshot that yesterday, and he had bags under them, like he spent most of the night crying than sleeping. His blond hair wasn't styles in it usual manner and was more reminiscent of Cas's hair: pure chaos. Michael suit was gone, replaced by dark-blue jeans and a white Henley. The cold had never been a problem for Michael. What stood out more was how dark Michael face was, like it was someone was standing in front of his casting a foreboding shadow across it.

Cas wasn't about to let his brother's ragged state dissuade him from what he had to do.

"Michael," Cas said as a greetings before making his way back to the kitchen, hearing the door close behind him. The first thing he did when he got to the kitchen was get Michael some coffee. Cas needed him fully awake for this. "Here," Cas curtly said, handing Michael the mug once he was seated.

Michael took a sip and wasn't capable of holding back his surprised. A petty part of Cas wanted him to make Michael's coffee the wrong way to hurt him, but he decided against it. His father taught him better than that.

Cas slowly sipped his tea, waiting for Michael to say something, but Micheal keep his head down. He meant what he told Dean. He was going to listen to whatever Michael had to say then make his decision. Cas only hoped Michael's silence was him meticulously choosing his words. They both knew dire the situation was.

Michael finally looked up, glossy eyed, and said, "I'm sorry if I scared the little boy."

Cas kept his face void of all emotions, even though his lips were itching to twitch. At least Michael knew that one aspect of him well enough. "You weren't the one shouting," was Cas's brusque response.

"You never would've been if I wasn't for me," Michael countered. "I should have never just shown like that." While Michael was speaking, his eyes were raking over every inch of Cas, taking in as much they could gather about Cas, one of the reasons why Cas could never get away with anything when it came to Michael.

"Michael," Cas warned because Michael wasn't paying attention to what was important right now.

"I'm sorry," Michael quickly said, shifting his eyes to Cas face, "but this is the first time I have seen you in months."

"That's not my fault," he viciously snapped.

"I know that!" Michael yelled back and somehow managed to get out of his seat. "Don't you think I know that?! Don't you think I don't know how badly Lucifer and I screwed up?! We threw you out," he brokenly whispered at the end. It was astounding to see how quickly Michael could enraged to completely devastated. His shoulders sank, and it appeared like they wanted to drag Michael to the floor. His face got darker, a stark contrast to the harsh light streaking through from the windows. His baby-blue eyes were no longer shining with rage but unshed tears.

Cas itched to reach out and offer comfort to the man who had always willingly offered him comfort, but Cas held himself back and schooled his face. Michael's composure shattered some more. "You hurt me," Cas evenly said.

"I know," Michael said, barely a whisper, and the tears finally came down, streaming thickly down his face.

Cas felt his resolve waver slightly, but he held on. "You believed him over me."

"I-I'm so s-sorry," Michael wetly stammered out.

"Why? Why did you believe him over me?" Cas asked the question that was eating away at him since the two of them sent him away with his own tears streaming thickly down his face.

"I don't know," Michael wheezed. "I don't know why. I...I just lost it when I saw that picture of you and Liam. I wasn't thinking right-neither of us were, and when we finally realized, it was too late. You left."

"You threw me out and said you never wanted to see my face ever again. What did you expect? I left," Cas spat.

"We never thought you would leave Pontiac!" he yelled. For once, Cas was glad Henry was a heavy sleeper. "We thought we would get the chance to make amends and beg you to come back home, but no-one knew where you were. You just disappeared with no way to contact you. We had no way to know if you were all right or not. And you can't even begin to imagine how much we hated not knowing how you are. You can't even begin to imagine how much we hated ourselves because of what we did to you--we still do."

The thing was: Cas did know. He could see it right before him. The once proud and dignified Michael Novak was drooping before him with tear tracks on his normally spotless marble face--a marble face that now had tiny fissures aligning it surface, a marble face that was now discolored, a marble face that was waiting words of rejection before it finally fall to pieces.

Just when Cas thought Michael was over, he continued with, "Dad would've hated us, too."

"Michael--"

"He would have," Michael cut him off. "That house was supposed to belong to all of us, and Lucifer and I had no right to throw you out. _He would have hated us_. And that wasn't the worst thing. The worst thing was that we're fighting amongst ourselves. Anna hasn't returned any of our calls, and Balthazar will only pick up the phone to tell you he was still alive. Sometimes he wouldn't even do that--he would just text us. Gabriel still talked to us, but our conversations are stilted, and he would end the call at the mere mention of your name."

The tears were back whilst Cas tried to digest the new information he received. He knew Anna was avoiding them like some of the snot nosed kids she had to deal with. He never knew Balthazar accepted their call to tell them he was alive, or Gabriel cut the phone off on them. Michael wasn't the only sibling Cas had to confront.

"Dad made us promise we would watch out for you." Cas was pulled back to the scene in front of him, shocked. "He made us promise on his deathbed to watch out for you, and we failed him--twice. We failed with Eric, and then when we sent you away. How could he not hate us? How could you not?"

"Dad wouldn't have hated you, Michael," Cas said, tone going gentle. "It wasn't like him to hate anyone. He would've been anger and disappointed, but he could never hate you. And I don't either. I don't hate you or Lucifer. I'm just angry and hurt. Angry and hurt that neither of you gave me the chance to tell you my side of the story. It hurt that you trusted Zachariah more than me." The pain was still there, and Cas wasn't sure it would leave him anytime soon.

"I know, and I'm so sorry," he fervidly stated. "I'm sorry that I ever hired him, and all-the-more sorry that I even trusted him. I should have listened to you." Cas had a sudden urge to say 'I told you so,' but stayed his tongue. "But he gone now. He and Jackson and his son are all gone now. They have been put away for a long time, and they can't bother us now. I want...I want to put this all behind us. Just--" his voice cracked, "--just, please don't cut us out of your life again. _Please_."

"The two of you have really hurt me, _but_ ," Cas said when Michael got that dejected look on his face again, "I'm willing to the two of you a chance to make amends. I can't forgive you right away, but I'm giving the two of you the chance to win back my trust."

"We will. We'll do anything," Michael hastily promise. "Thank you."

"Don't thank me yet. Show me I can trust you guys again." Cas finally got up and walked over to Michael, who he pulled into a hug.

"I missed you so much," Michael said into his hair, crushing Cas to his chest.

"I missed you, too," Cas whispered back then pulled, much to Michael's displeasure. "Do you want to stay for lunch?" Cas asked, giving Michael his first shot at redemption.

"I would love to," Michael answered with his first smile since this whole ordeal started, though it wasn't a bright smile, not that Michael was all that big on smiling in the first place, but it was a start like everything from now on.

"Good," Cas smiled. "Though I must warn you Henry isn't your biggest fan right now."

"Henry?"

Cas fully stepped back and out of his arms. "The little boy." Michael's face took on an expectant look. Cas shook his head with an amused smile. "That's all your getting. Any information about Dean or Henry, you're going to have to earn."

"Fair enough," Michael said, smile getting wider even if his tone was a little disappointed.

"Oh," Cas exclaimed. "Congratulations on the baby."

Michael finally gave Cas one of his rare wide smile. "Thank you," he said. "I have pictures, if you want to see."

"Sure," Cas said. He had already seen the pictures thanks to Balthazar and Gabriel, but he would allow Michael to have his fun. Looking at Michael's smiling face assured Cas that they would be okay. They just needed some time to let their wounds heal, but they would get there.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me tell you, It is a complete bitch to find time to write when you're in college and have a shit ton of reading, but I fully intend on finishing this story, so bare with me. 
> 
> Thanks for reading.


	14. Variable: Unearthing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Christmas Time!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm surprised at how quickly I got this chapter out but glad nonetheless. 
> 
> Enjoy :)

 

To Cas's great relief, life did return to normal in the Winchester-Novak household like he fully intended it to. Thanksgiving came and went, and Cas was sure the last time he had ever been that content and happy was when his father had been alive. There was a part that whispered that he may had been more that content and happy this time around. And he could see why the voice was there.

Cas had always been used to having family around him, but there was something about having Dean's family all together in Mary and John's little house that made everything that much more intimate and warm and inviting.

Everyone had shown up early that day, a long lasting tradition of meeting up at Mary and John's and spending the entire day all together. All crowded around each other while they laughed and exchanged light banter. There wasn't a place that Cas went where he hadn't bumped into one of Dean's family members. He should really say his family members now since that was what they were to him. They were no longer just Dean's but his as well and he them.

The kitchen was by far the most crowded at any time during the day because someone was always hungry, and they couldn't all fit in the living room. Someone was always running in and out of the kitchen, stealing a bit of whatever someone was cooking while dodging someone carrying something or hits from wooden spoons and other kitchen utensils. By far the worst of them all was Dean. No amount of shouting for him to leave or hits would hinder his attempts to sample whatever they were cooking. Cas was all too familiar with Dean's insatiable palates, but the halfhearted complains informed Cas of how often an occurrence this was, and far-be-it for Cas to complain, being all the more willing to indulge Dean in whatever he wanted. Cas was wrapped around Dean's finger as much as he was around Henry.

The fact that Dean would sneak a kiss whenever he was there had nothing to do with it, honest. If Dean wanted to kiss him, who was he to stop him? None of the others were about to stop them. They were all too enthralled with Dean's easy flowing affections and ringing laughter to care about anything else. There were too many cuts and burns support his mighty claim as well as their painted cheeks. That wasn't to say that Cas himself came out of this undamaged. Cas had on one occasion cut his finger when Dean snaked his arms around his waist and kissed his neck. Cas's pride got a nick as well when he made a loud squeak. But in the end it was worth it when Dean couldn't stop laughing as he attempted to help Cas wash the blood off.

Cas was happy to let Dean fuss over him. He was that much happier to let Henry help put one of his Scooby Doo bandaid on his finger. The highlight of the whole incident was seeing Dean running after Henry, trying to win Henry's forgiveness for causing Cas to cut himself.

There were many loud laughing that day.

A house reverberating with laughter may possibly be why everything felt more intense and homely. When Cas was home with his family, they were just as loud and together, but they were in a house that was more than twice the size that house. When one of the Novaks laughed or said something, it didn't bounce off the wall and returned with twice the intensity, it left one room and traveled all throughout a house filled with too many empty rooms. It was only when they were all together that it didn't feel so hollow and vast. That wasn't to say that Cas hated his home--he loved it greatly. There were many good places to hide when playing Hide and Seek--it simply seemed too empty sometimes. And Cas was glad his father convinced him to go away for college because when he passed away, the house seemed that much larger.

His father must have known what he was doing when he left the house to Michael and not the rest of them because the vastness of that house never got to Michael and still to this day.

Or perhaps Mary and John's home seemed so cosy because of the sounds of little kids that also filled it. Henry was always talking someone into submission or laughing at something. The twins were either crying due to hunger or soiled diapers, or they were softly making little gurgled noises in their cots. There was also the shuffling of tiny feet on hardwood floors as Henry made his way from one room to the next because one or more adults caved and gave him more sugar than advisable.

Amidst all the childlike sounds, cooing adults could be heard louder than anything, and the twins and Henry were always seen in a different set of hands. In Cas's opinion, Henry took the decline in doting quite gracefully, allowing the adults to pay more attention to the twins, well most of the adults. Henry seemed to have a time limit when it came to how long the twins spent in either Cas's arms or Dean's before he would get grumpy and demanded whichever of the two the twins were with at the time to pick him up. They were many amused smirks that day when Henry would only stay in Dean or Cas's arms long enough for someone to become solely focused on the twins and refusing to hand them up before he was off again.

Henry was profoundly pleased with himself that day.

Cas was more than happy to chase after him this time, demanding he let Cas pick him up since that was what he wanted in the first time. Cas chased him around until he would finally cornered him, picking him up and smothering him in kisses. At some point, it became less of a tactic to keep Dean and Cas to himself and more of a way to garner kisses and cuddles. Both Dean and Cas had quite the workout that day.

When it finally came to dinner, it was a frenzy of hands trying to fill their plate with as much as the could get while shouting across the table, trying to get someone to pass them a specific dish. Cas and Mary, who were used to all of this, patiently waited for them to calm down and for fear of losing their hands before getting their own plates filled. And Cas found he had more to be thankful for besides good food. He had many, many things to be thankful for, and many of them were in the room with him.

He only shed a tear when Henry quite loudly and joyfully exclaimed he was thank for finding Cas at the store and held that much tighter to Dean's hands.

His dad had always told him when he found something that was meant for him, and he would know without a shadow of doubt when he found it. And his dad was right.

Looking at Dean's glossy eyes as he looked from his son to his family them locking eyes with Cas as he recited what he was thankful for, Cas knew without a shadow of a doubt--he found what was truly meant for him.

That sense of rightness was the reason there was a light spring to his steps days afterwards, and why he wasn't even fazed when Lucifer showed up at their doorstep not too long after Thanksgiving. Unlike his other siblings, Lucifer made it known when he would be coming, even if Cas had expected it to be the day after Michael left Lawrence. It didn't mean it was any less shocking.

"Luc-"

"I'll get down on my knees and grovel and beg if I need to," he swiftly cut Cas off, who just got out of the Impala, hand still on the door. Unlike Michael, Lucifer's face was as aloof as ever, not traces of what he was feeling under the surface shone through. Cas wasn't all too surprised: Lucifer had never been too big on showing his emotions, unless he was whining or smirking about something. Other than that, he was completely stony.

"Well," Cas drawled, crossing his arms, "I'm waiting." Since Cas was looking at him so intently, he noticed how Lucifer's eyes widened by a faction before he made a move to crouch down. "Lucifer, I'm kidding," Cas rushed out before he could crouch down any farther.

Dean snorted from the other side of the car. Cas could relate because Lucifer may have looked relieved for a moment. Cas wasn't sure if he was relieved that his pride wouldn't be damaged or that Cas was joking with him. Cas really hoped it was the latter.

Cas whirled around to say something to Dean, but Dean beat him to it. "Go and talk to your brother. I'll put everything away." Dean had his gazed solely on Lucifer, a familiar scowl set on his face. Cas didn't know if Dean would ever forgive Michael and Lucifer for what they did to him, but Dean wasn't openly hostile to them. He was surprisingly civil when he came home for lunch the day Michael came over. Even more bewildering was their ability to hold a conversation that evaded any mention of Cas, or how he came to live here. Cas saw how it ate away at Michael, not being able to ask about Cas, but he kept quiet, determined to win back the right to be a part of Cas's life.

Dean wasn't the only not able to be downright hostile to the two of them. Cas was having a hard time being mad at them whenever he looked at Dean's sleeping form every morning, with his flushed skin, twitching nose, ruffled hair and slightly parted lips. Or whenever he looked at Henry with his cute button nose, wide smile, chubby cheeks, and sonorous laugh, which always warmed Cas from the inside out. If it wasn't for the two of them, Cas would have never had any of this. So, Dean wasn't the only one grappling with this cognitive dissonance.

"Thank you," Cas eventually said to Dean, who waved him off, and went to get Henry--who looked positively mutinous that they were taking so long--out of the car. With Henry in hand, Cas went to open the door and chuckled at the leery look Henry was giving Lucifer. He rolled his eyes at the equally suspicious look Lucifer was giving Henry.

' _Somethings just never change, no matter how much time as passed_ ,' Cas mused as he opened the door and walked to the kitchen. He placed Henry on the island, away from the three jars, half-filled with jellybeans, gummy bears, and jaw breakers. Cas was able to convince Henry to share the his candy with the rest of the family with less bribery and grumbling that he expected. And Gabriel received quiet the tongue lashing that night. It took Dean a while to stop laughing and go to bed as well.

Cas got a bowl and washed some strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries and gave the bowl to Henry, who narrowed his eyes at Lucifer as he tried to decipher if he was a threat or not. Lucifer was trying not to look at Henry. Cas snorted before kissing the top of Henry's head and got a big smile.

"Lucifer and I are going to step outside," he said once Dean was in the kitchen with all four paper bags in his hand. Dean nodded once, and Cas walked to the backyard with Lucifer trailing after him.

"I see you're still wearing that trench coat," Lucifer said, smirking. While Lucifer may have perfected looking uncaring and stoic, he never could stay that way for too long when it was family he was around.

Cas mildly glared at him and his black leather jacket, which wasn't zipped up, showing the white t-shirt underneath. There must be something in there genes that prevented them from feeling the effects of the cold. "It's a good coat. Keeps me warm," Cas griped, which had nothing to do with why he wore the tan coat. He loved the coat, and that was it. And he did not look like a tax accountant. Thank you very much, Dean. "Why are you here, Lucifer?" he asked despite both of them knowing why he was here. But that was the thing with Lucifer, if one didn't keep him on track, he would go on talking about any and everything.

"I came to see how you were doing," he answered, blue-gray eyes gazing into midnight ones, as he came to describe them as. Dean could be a giant sap sometimes. "And to apologize to you." His eyes darkened a little. "I should have known better than to trust that bastard."

"You didn't know he was going to do that to you guys," Cas reasoned with him. As much as he hated that his brothers believed Zachariah over him, Cas knew it was because they had come to think of him as family and trusted him as such, and Cas knew how much it hurt when family betrayed someone. He could sympathize with his brothers on that regard, but he was still angry with them, though a little less now than before.

"Doesn't matter," Lucifer shook his head. "We should have seen it." His face was now downcast and guilty. "We should have believed you above all else. You have always been too good for your own good." His lips quirked up, and Cas felt his do the same. His smile then turned teasing. "And Liam was so not your type."

Cas pinched the bridge of his nose whilst shaking his head. "I still have yet to forgive you, you know," Cas told him, and Lucifer grinned.

"You already forgave us, Bluebird," Lucifer cheerfully said. "The fact that I'm standing right here in front of you proves that because we both know how stubborn you can be. If you had never forgiven us, we would have never been able to see you, let alone talk to you. You're just angry and hurt and can't trust us as you used to, and we promise we'll do whatever it takes to atone for what we did." Lucifer's was downcast once again but more intense this time. "We're sorry we lost sight of what was important to us. We're sorry."

"I know you are," Cas quietly said. "And you are right: I did forgive the two of you, but I'm going to need some time get over everything that happened."

"We understand," Lucifer earnestly said. "We're just glad you're talking to us again, and you're not shutting us out--so, you can take all the time you need. We'll be patiently waiting."

Even though he said all those things, Lucifer still looked so opened right now and painfully hopeful that Cas would tell him all was well right this second that Cas felt his resolve weakened a little. But Cas wasn't going to give up that easily, but he was going to extend the same courtesy he gave to Michael: a way to redeem himself.

"We're going to get a tree," Cas said. "Maybe you might want to tag along...?"

"I would love, too," Lucifer beamed, and Cas beamed back. "But I don't want to intrude."

"Your--" Cas objected but cut off when Lucifer viciously shook his head.

"I am," he affirmed. "We've already spent plenty of Christmas together--this time it should be just three of you."

"Thank you," Cas said, feeling shy all of a sudden. As much as he wanted to give Lucifer a second chance, Cas couldn't say he was disappointed that Lucifer declined. The thought of just the three of them picking out a Christmas tree was very appealing. Lucifer's smug look informed Cas that he was probably looking too besotted. "How long are you staying for?" Cas quickly asked to change the topic.

"Just for today," he smirked, knowing what Cas was doing but subsequently shocking Cas.

"Really?"

"Yeah," he said, a little sad. "You know how hectic it gets this time of the year with pretty much everyone suing the other over some petty little things." He rolled his eyes. No doubt at humanity's stupidity, Cas guessed.

"Will you stop by before your flight?" Cas requested.

"Absolutely," was his quick reply. Cas should have known they would never give up the chance to see him now that they knew where he was. Just this week alone, he had received numerous text from Michael inquiring about him and Dean, surprisingly. They must have really bonded over football, even though Michael was more of a baseball fan.

Lucifer then walked over to him and pulled him into a warm embrace that Cas happily accepted. Lucifer kissed the side of his head.

"You're going to need to stop treating me like a child," Cas groused into his neck. "I'm a grown man."

"Of course, you are," Lucifer seriously said, betraying his words by lightly patting the back of his head. Cas rolled his eyes and huffed, causing him to chuckle.

Cas lightly pushed him, making him outright laugh this time before going back inside. Dean, who was leaning forward on the island, talking to Henry, perked up when came in. His forest-green eyes raked over Cas's body as if he was looking for some form or injury or discomfort before relaxing. Cas rolled his eyes in exasperation. Dean's concerns were welcomed but completely unwarranted. Lucifer would sooner cut his hands off before using it against Cas. Well, he could certainly try, but Cas knew he wouldn't get far. He was trained in Judo for a reason.

"I'm going to show Lucifer out, and then we'll go pick out a tree," Cas told them.

Dean nodded with a fond smile on his face, and Henry, who had turned around to face them earlier, enthusiastically nodded.

Cas showed Lucifer out but not before noticing the pensive look on his face. "What?" Cas asked when stepped out with Lucifer.

"Nothing," he responded. "Just something Michael said." Cas looked expectantly at him. Lucifer sighed before answering. "He really loves, you know."

"Who? Michael?" Cas frowned, confused. Of course, Cas knew Michael loved him just as he knew Lucifer did as well.

"Not Michael," Lucifer said, looking mildly disbelievingly at him. "The guy."

"Oh," Cas softly exclaimed and flushed as he cheeks heated up. "Well, um--" he cleared his throat, feeling like he was fifteen again when they met his first boyfriend: nervous and slightly mortified. "I really love him as well." Cas flushed all over again. He knew with absolute certainty that Dean was listening in. Dean hadn't heard anything new, but it was an entirely different thing to say it when it was the two of them--and Henry, sometimes-- than saying it in front of a family member. Cas wondered if Dean felt like this when he said it at Thanksgiving?

"I know you do," he simply said and kissed his forehead. "Bye, Bluebird."

Cas was that much more mortified to do anything but wave and watch as he got into his black BMW--a rental no doubt--and drove away. Cas spun around to see a smirking Dean, standing by the doorway to the kitchen with Henry in his arm.

"I more than just really love you," was all he said, and Cas glowered at him, cheeks painted red.

"Me, too!" Henry shouted, bouncing in his father's arms. Cas's glower slipped off his face and was replaced by an exuberantly fond look.

Cas closed the distance between them and took the excitable child from Dean. "And I really, really, really, _really_ love you," Cas fervently told him while rubbing their noses together and making him gleefully giggle. Cas then kissed his cheeks and asked, "Ready?"

"Uh-huh," Henry nodded.

Cas looked over to Dean, who was frowning at the. Cas raised and eyebrow.

"You guys should go without me since the two of you love each other so much more than you love me," Dean said in mock hurt as he pouted.

"No, Daddy!" Henry shrieked and threw him at Dean, who was quick to catch him. Henry placed both his hand on Dean's shoulders and looked him dead in the eyes. "I really, really, really, _really_ love you, too, Daddy, okay?"

Dean nodded to show he understood and believed him, lips twitching. Dean then turned to Cas with a pout. Cas didn't know if he wanted to roll his eyes or kiss Dean silly. Henry mimicked his father but with an expectant look. Cas did roll his eyes this time.

"I really, really, really, _really_ love you, too, Dean," Cas said and meant every word.

"I know," Dean said and kissed his cheek, setting it aflame.

And Cas's cheeks pretty much stayed that way from the time they left the house to the drive over to farm that Dean's family always bought their Christmas tree from. It was a wider field than Cas expected but filled with Pine and Fir trees of varying lengths and widths.

"You're ridiculous," Cas whispered to Dean while Henry stared up at the five foot tree in front of him, debating if this tree was going to be their tree.

Dean looped his arms around Cas's waist and whispered in his ear, making him shiver. "I'm just a man who's ridiculously in love." Cas turned his head, and Dean caught Cas's lips with his, slowly and lazily kissing him.

"Dad!" Henry whined, and they guilty broke apart. Henry had both hands on his hips and an irritated look on his face.

"Is this it?" Dean asked.

"No," was his curt answer, and he was off in search of a better tree with Dean and Cas smothering their laughter as they trailed after him.

Close to two hours later, after a great deal of indecisiveness and backtracking, Henry finally--finally--found a tree that he deemed worthy for the Winchester-Novak house. And in the nick of time, too, because Cas couldn't feel his legs or arms. Dean looked ready to rip the tree out from the ground and drag it back to the car.

"Are you sure this is the one you want?" Cas dreadingly asked, switching from Henry's face--who was in Cas's arms because he got tired--to the six foot Fraser Fir tree before them and silently praying it was. Tree was perfect to Cas--and he wasn't saying that so they could got home--form it's deep-green color to it's thick, sturdy foliage. Perfect for what Cas had planned.

Henry pursued his lips while Dean anxiously tapped his feet. Henry nodded as Cas was mentally preparing to walk.

"Great!" Dean loudly exclaimed, startling the two of them. "Wait here while I get someone to cut it down." He whirled around at an alarming rate and stormed off.

"I think he liked," Cas said, bewildered.

"Yeah?" Henry softly asked.

"Yeah," Cas answered, watching as Dean got farther and farther away before kissing Henry's temple. "Great job." Henry preened.

Dean returned not too long after with a guy with an axe, who looked like he left high school not too long ago and who was half speed walking and half-jogging to keep up with Dean.

"That one," Dean brusquely said, pointing at the tree even though he wasn't even here yet. Cas gave him and unimpressed look and pointed to the tree to help the poor kid out. At least Dean had the sense to look sheepish, though a little tired.

The kid made quick work of cutting down the tree and even helped them take it the car after they paid for it. His face did light up when Dean gave him a twenty for all his trouble.

"That was sweet of you," Cas said as the left the farm. Dean shrugged and kept driving, a small smile on his face.

When they got home, Dean and he quickly got the tree inside with Henry's guidance and set it close to the wall with the rectangular opening that had a clear view of the door. While Dean clipped off some of the bottom branches, so that the presents could fit, and set up the light, Henry and Cas sorted out all the ornaments and decided to go with the star instead of the angel for the tree topper.

Cas lifted up the star up, a typical five point star, but it had a kind of knitted heart on each point with the pointed end of the head facing away from the center and bigger hearts that overlapped in the center making a small flower with five slender petals. Cas lifted an eyebrow.

"Jess," Dean answered, before getting the last of the lights on the tree.

Cas shrugged, placed it back on the table and helped Henry put the ornaments on the tree. Dean soon came to help, and they took turns lifting Henry up, so he could put the ornaments where he wanted them. Cas felt more relaxed and happy in this moment that he had felt in a long time, and he didn't even mind that Henry made him move some of the ornaments he had already put on the tree.

"There," Dean said as he help Henry put the last one, a purple ball with small white snowflakes on it.

"Almost," Cas said. "Wait here," he then instructed as he got up, leaving two confused Winchesters. Cas ran up the stair to his room and his last drawer where he hid the wooden box--more of a small wooden treasure chest with gothic style design carved into it--he had Michael send over.

"So, that's what you've been hiding," Dean said as soon as he walked back into the living room. Cas ducked his head. Maybe he shouldn't have ran to their room when he first got the package, yelling, "It's a secret!" as he went.

"Yeah," Cas finally said, sitting back on the floor next to the table. "Stay with your dad," Cas quickly ordered Henry when he started walking over to him. "It's a surprise." Cas opened the latch then the chest and sifted through the contents until he found what he wanted to show first.

"When I was a teenager," Cas started, "I had these Christmas ornaments made that represented each member of my family that I wanted to hang on the Christmas tree as a reminder of those important in my life." Cas finally looked up at them to see their surprised faces. "I had Michael send them over."

"In a wooden chest?" Dean smirked with a raised eyebrow.

"My dad was the one who insisted I kept them in chest," Cas told him, fondness seeping into his voice.

"Ah."

"Can we see them, please?" Henry pleaded with clasped hands and wide imploring eyes.

"Of course," Cas said, taking the silver chain and pulling out the first item. "This one's Michael's." It was a small sword about four inches in length. The blade was made of clear crystal while the hilt was made of silver--much like the chain that was attached to the top of it--with an angel in the middle, who winges extended out on both sides by a few centimeters. "Michael, the angle, was seen as God's warrior, so I thought, 'What better symbol than a sword?' Seeing as they both were always the first to defend those in trouble."

"Here." Cas held out the sword to Henry, who was looking at in awe. Henry eagerly let go of Dean's hand and reverently took the sword from Cas, marveling at it. "So where do you want put it?"

Henry's head snapped up. "Me?"

"Yeah." Cas tilted his head to the side and smiled warmly at him. Henry ginned back before looking towards the tree.

"There," he said pointing to the top left side of the tree. Dean snaked one arm across his tummy and one under his legs and lifted him up then held onto him when he was finished.

"Next is Lucifer's," Cas said grabbing another silver chain and pulled out a star this time. The star was the size of his palm and made entirely of topaz, eight diamond shaped pieces put together to make a smaller star in the center with eight points. "His name means 'morning star,' so I made him a star." Cas lightly chuckled. "It's funny because he hates getting up in the morning." Dean and Henry chuckled.

Cas held out the star, which Henry took and decided to put closer to the bottom, forcing Dean to bend down.

"Gabriel." Cas pulled out a small drinking horn, but Henry didn't need to know that. It was made of clear crystal with Celtic knots and spiral carved onto it. At the mouth of the horn, there was a black metal band with intricate vine patterns on it, the same with the metal on the tip. The silver chain this ornaments had was connected to both metals. "The messenger Angel. In Ancient times, people used to horn of signal the arrival of someone, most of the time that person had a message to deliver. And because Gabriel's loud."

Dean threw his head back and laughed while a giggling Henry took the horn and placed it across from the star.

Cas then pulled out at crystal wine bottle. It had an a spherical shape bottom and a long circular neck then made it seem like a volumetric flask or a tear drop. It has a stopper with a small sphere on the top. Two loops were attached on top of the neck of the flask, where the silver chain connected. There were grapevines carved on the spherical part with some tiny leaves one could run his or her hands over. "Balthazar. The name mean wine bottle. And he also can't get enough of it."

Henry put this one above Gabriel's.

Cas held the next silver chain up, dangling the crystal rose in front of his face. It was the size of his palm with a thick curved stem with two leaves, one closer to the bottom and one closer to the top on opposite side, all made entirely of clear crystal. At the top were four leaves, all opened up and outward. In the center was a sapphire rose. "Anael. The angel of love." It was pleasure, but Henry was too young for that talk. "Red roses symbolizes love, but Anna always like blue roses better."

Henry put this one below the sword and a little to the right, next to a reindeer ornament.

Next, Cas pulled out a four inch clear crystal scroll holder. There were two silver caps on the top and bottom of the holder made that were Celtic knots in design. Inside the holder was a small scroll. "My dad," Cas breathed out. He held it higher by the chain to see the writing on the scroll. "He always loved scroll and writing on general. A scroll is a piece of paper that people write on then roll up," Cas said before Henry could asked. "His favorite poem is inside."

Cas almost teared up when Henry put it close to the star.

Cas then took out a crystal sugar bowl that was two inches in width. It had diamond shaped patterns around the bottom. The cover had a small lotus on the top. "My mom," Cas quite said. "A sugar bowl because she had quite the sweet tooth and a lotus on the top because that was her favorite flower." Cas rubbed his thumb over it a few times before handing it to Henry, who placed it next to the scroll.

"Now, this one was made by my father," Cas informed them before pulling out an owl. It was a Great Horned Owl in flight, wings spread wide and talons close to the body. The entire owl was blue with feathers a mixed of light-blue and dark-blues with some white mixed in. The silver chain was attached to the two wings. "Me."

"An owl?" Dean said, amused while Henry frowned.

"I'm also the Angel of Solitude," Cas said, ignoring Dean, "which means I like to be alone, where I can watch and observe things. And owls are watchers." Cas handed Henry the owl, who stroked it with his finger, awe written on his face.

"Why is blue?" Dean questioned.

Cas give him impish grin. "Why not?" Cas shrugged, grin still in place. "There's now rule in place saying a bird has to only be the colors found in nature. If I want a bird to be blue, then I can have a _blue. Bird_." Cas saw Dean's face go from confused to suspicious to utterly unimpressed.

"Ha-ha, very funny, Cas," he deadpanned.

"My dad thought it was."

"What?" Henry asked, looking slightly miffed. Cas was going to let Dean handle this one.

Dean glared at him before addressing Henry. "Owl are a kind of bird, buddy," Dean stated, and Cas bit his lips to stop from laughing, "and Cas's dad made it blue, so it's a _blue bird._ " Cas could see Henry's confused face, no matter that he had twisted his body a little so he could look at his father. "It's a blue owl," Dean tired again. "A blue bird."

Henry gasped and fixed his wide eyed stare on Cas. "You're Bluebird!" he excitedly exclaimed.

"That I am," Cas agreed before getting up because he couldn't help but want to kiss him. "You're so clever," Cas praised, kissing both his cheeks repeatedly. Henry beamed at him before putting the owl below the scroll and sugar bowl.

"Finally," Dean exaggeratingly said, putting Henry down.

"Actually," Cas said, biting his bottom lip, "there are two more."

"Two more?" Dean said in a curious tone and slightly tired.

"Yeah," Cas confirmed with an apologetic look before proceeding back to the chest. There he pulled out a small knight on horseback. The body of the knight was made of frosted crystal with silver armor covering it. The eyes showed through the armor and were made of emerald. There was a bright red cape attached to the shoulders of the knight and made of silk. He had a crystal sword in one hand. The horse had it's front legs up and looked like it was about to charge forward. It was made of a dark crystal that one could still see through with its own armor, a bronze color. "Dean," he quietly said and a little breathy.

Dean made a choking sound. "You made one for me?"

"Yeah," Cas answered, all of a sudden feeling shy and nervous, but he steeled himself. "The ornaments are a representation of what's important in my life--and you're important. I wanted to get you a soldier because I couldn't help but see you as one after everything you had to battle through, yet you never gave up, but I got you a knight instead since they are basically the same thing, so to speak--" Cas took and sharp breath and rushed out, "--and you're my knight in shining armor." Cas kept his head lowered, eyes fixed on the knight, not wanting to see Dean's reaction. Or more importantly, he was afraid that Dean might not like it.

Cas tensed up a bit when he Dean's footsteps. Dean kneeled down next to him and lifted Cas's chin up. Cas was momentarily taken back by Dean's shining eyes and the unadulterated love edged on his face. Dean surged forward and caught Cas's lips with his in a slow heated kiss, thumb stroking Cas's cheek.

"It's perfect," Dean whispered again his lips, a little choked. Dean got back up to take Henry in his arms. Cas handed the knight to Henry, who moved the sword and rose farther down, making the two adults laugh, before demanding he wanted to be put down. When he was on the ground, Henry started hopping in places in excitement, grinning madly at Cas.

Cas amusingly shook his head before pulling out a second knight. It was very much the same as the other one except this one had no helmet on, so one could see the whole face. They could see the emerald eyes and the light brunette hair. "I wonder who this belongs to?" Cas teased.

"It's me!" Henry gleefully yelled running up to Cas. Cas handed the knight on horseback to the overjoyed child.

"He has a crown," Henry marveled, running his finger over the gold crown, similar to the one Cas had made him before.

"Well, he wouldn't be a prince if he didn't, now would he?" Cas continued to tease him, tickling him this time. Henry giggled before going back to staring at the knight in wonderment.

Henry finally decided to part with the knight and put it across from his Dad's.

"Dad, look," Henry excitedly pointed. "We're fighting." The two horses looked like there were charging at each other with their knights holding their swords above their heads like there were shouting their battle cry just Cas planned, knowing Henry's love for battling knights.

"I see that," Dean grinned at him. "Now, how about we put the lights on?" Henry nodded fervently. Dean got the plug while Cas went over to the light switch and turned the living room lights off. Soon the tree lit up were an array of colored lights that painted the living room in a mixed of colors. Henry stared at the tree with rapt attention, and Dean came up behind Cas and wrapped his arms around Cas's waist.

"The capes are fireproofed, so we don't worry about them," Cas informed him. Dean hummed into his neck before trailing kisses up and down it. "Dean," he warned.

"What?" he mumbled. "Your knight in shining armor just wants a little reward for all the hard work he did today." So much for thinking Dean didn't hear him the first time.

"Shut up," Cas grumbled and elbowed him.

"And you call me a sap." Cas rolled his eyes but couldn't keep the smile off his face, and neither could Dean, who smiled into his neck. He would forever believe Dean was a bigger sap that he was, though.

~~~✴~~~

Dean always treasured those rare moments when he woke up before Cas. Those moments where he could watch Cas sleep. It was incidentally those moments where he could watch Cas's skin, especially his cheeks, his neck and around his ears, flush rosy-red without him having to cause it. Similarly to how close off Cas used to act around him, it transferred to how he slept, stoic and unmoving like he was in an eternal rest than one meant for at least eight hours.

Even more magnificent than watching Cas sleep was watching him waking because no matter how much of a morning person Cas was, it took him a while to wake up. It was fun to watch Cas lazily open his eyes and blink repeatedly, trying to get them to stay open. When he finally did keep them opened, he would proceed to stretch like a cat after a long nap. Then came Dean's favorite part: the part where he got to kiss Cas fully awake, whether it be his lips, his shoulders, his neck, or slowly down his his chest.

The sad thing was today wasn't one of those days.

"Shit," Dean hissed, withdrawing his hand. It would be apt to he almost burned his hand since Cas was heating up. "Cas?" Dean called out to him and got no response. "Cas?" he called again and got the same result. He lightly shook Cas, who frowned in his sleep and moved away from Dean's hand. It was then Dean started to panic. Cas was a notoriously light sleeper that even a quiet 'Cas' from the doorway of their room from Henry could wake him up. Dean shook him with more force this time. Cas whined at the back of his throat but stayed asleep.

"Come on, Cas," Dean said, brushing aside the hairs that stuck to Cas's forehead. He should have never disregarded Cas's unusually warm body like he did last night.

"Hmm," Cas whined before opened his eyes. Midnight-blue gave way to veiny streams of red before they were gone again. "Ugh, my head hurts."

"I know, babe," Dean sympathized, kissing his heated forehead. "Whoa-Whoa," Dean rushed out, pushing Cas back down. "Where do you think you're going?"

"I have--" Cas broke off with a wet cough, "--class, and Henry has pre-school." Dean tried not to cringe at how scratchy his voice sounded.

"You're not going anywhere," Dean sternly told him. "You can barely open your eyes, and you're burning up."

"I'm fine," he hoarsely said.

"You're not," Dean countered before getting up and walking to their closets.

"What--" A series of wet coughs followed, "-- are you looking for?" Cas asked as Dean was rummaging through one of Cas's drawers.

"This," he triumphantly said, pulling out Cas's Oxford blue pajamas Dean knew he had but never wore since they loved sleeping in their boxers.

"Dean," Cas bemoaned, sounding a lot like Henry in that moment. Dean ignored him and threw off the black duvet Cas bought them. "Dean--"

"Lift your arms up," Dean instructed, cutting him off.

"Dean--"

"You can afford to miss class for one day, and don't worry about Henry. I can handle everything."

"Dean--"

"Cas, you're sick," he said a little to curtly and regretted it a bit, but he kept going. "You're burning up, you have a cough, and you're shivering. You're in no shape to go anywhere." Cas's cheeks for flushed red, and Dean didn't know if it was from embarrassment or just from his malady. "You're in no shape to be moving around," Dean repeated, gentler this time. "Let me do this for you. Let me take care of you." Balthazar's words were echoing in the back of his head, and Dean could see what he meant. There was a stubborn set to Cas's jaw.

Cas didn't responded but held his hands up, and Dean's knees almost gave out in relief. He hurriedly got the shirt on then the pants before hurrying off the get the cold medicine from the medicine cabinet behind the bathroom mirror.

"Here." Dean held out the recommend amount of cold medicine to Cas, who wordlessly took and gulped it down. Dean took back the cap and left it on the night stand with the medicine bottle. Dean turned and walked to bathroom when a hand circled around his wrist, making his stop and turn back.

"Thank you," Cas rasped out, making Dean's heart swell. So Cas wasn't mad at him for forcing him to stay home and in bed. "I love you." Dean's entire body filled with warmth, not from any ailment.

Dean surged forward and kissed his forehead. "You don't have to thank me," Dean said against it. "You're always taking care of us. It's only right we take care of you now." Dean stepped back to look into his eyes that were drooping a little. The medicine was starting to work. "I love you, too." Dean then helped him settled into bed, pulling the duvet up and tucking him in. Dean gave his forehead one last kiss before going to the bathroom to brush his teeth and take a quick shower.

When he finished, Cas was out cold, making small whistling sounds as he slept. Dean gave him an affectionate smile before getting dressed and going to wake Henry.

Dean couldn't stop the tender smile from overcoming his face when he walked into Henry's room. Henry was sleeping in a slanted position with his hand spread out wide. His panda bear was at his foot side, his blanket was covering his waist, and his pillow was on the floor.

"Come on, buddy." Dean lightly shook him making him scrunch his face face up him.

"Cas," Henry sleepily mumbled, eyes tightly shut, and Dean's heart lurched. Today was supposed to be Cas turn to get him ready for the day.

"Sorry, buddy. It's Daddy today," Dean commiserated while smoothing down his unruly hair. Henry slowly opened his eyes then brought his fists up to wipe away the last remnants of sleep from his eyes.

"Where's Cas?" he asked between a yawn.

"He's sick, bud," Dean told him and regretted it when Henry shot up. "He's sleeping," Dean hastily informed him, holding him by the waist to stop him from running off.

"Dad," Henry whined and sounding pitiful as well. Knowing there was no winning Henry's stubbornness, Dean picked him up and took him to their bedroom.

Cas was on his side, facing the door, with one arm extended to Dean's side. And his mouth was opened. Another reason Dean believed Cas wasn't his usual self, seeing as Cas never slept with his mouth opened.

"See? He's sleeping," Dean said to worried looking Henry.

"Is he okay?" Henry quietly asked.

"He'll be fine, Henry. He just needs some rest." And Cas wouldn't get that if the two of them didn't leave him alone. "Come on, let's get you ready."

"Don't wanna," Henry petulantly said, crossing his arms and pouting. He was cute, but Dean wasn't going to be swayed by that.

"Henry, there's nothing you can do," Dean told him, thinking how that also applied to him. "Cas just needs to rest, and he won't get that if we're constantly around him." Henry didn't look too certain and looked like he was about to protest but stop himself. Dean knew he was going to have to actively remind him that Cas was fine, which was proven correct the entire time it took him to help Henry get ready for school. Henry was gloomy all the way through and was more fussy with what he wanted to wear, and what he wanted to eat. But Dean was able to get him to accept Cas was going to be fine.

All throughout the morning, it spoke volumes of how integral a prat Cas played in their lives. Dean found himself almost yelling for Cas when he couldn't find something and found himself turning to kiss someone, and they weren't there. There were times when both Henry and he would say Cas's name and follow it with something question or comment, and he wasn't there.

It also spoke volumes of how used to Cas others were. Dean had to deal with surprised and confused faces from the teachers at Henry's school while muttering, "He's sick to them."

It was amusing though to watch Missouri rave about Cas always getting himself sick because he could never seem to take care of himself. Dean wouldn't be too surprised if she ended up calling Cas or just showing up.

Dean had hoped school would have distracted Henry, but Missouri called him during lunch time telling him about how morose Henry had been the entire time he was there. Dean wasn't fairing too well, torn between wanting to go home from work or wondering why he even came to work to begin with. His family obviously noticed since Dean only opened his mouth before his Dad was giving him the rest of the day off.

So Dean picked up Henry, and they both went home to make Cas some Tomato Rice soup. It was under an hour later that Dean was carrying a bowl of soup on the wooden tray table with Henry walking next to him with a plate filled with leftover garlic bread because he wanted to help. Or help some more since he had helped with the soup.

"Wait!" Cas shouted before they could get through the doorway. "Henry can't be here. I don't want to get him sick."

Henry widely ginned at Cas before pulling out a small surgical mask and waving it about.

"He's stubborn," Dean sighed, walking in the room and setting the tray over Cas's legs. Dean then helped put this mask on Henry before seating him next to Cas.

"Where's yours?" Cas frowned, sounding less scratchy than before. Cas was coughing less as well.

"Don't need one," Dean said, checking Cas's temperature with the back of his hand. To his great relief, Cas wasn't as hot as he was this morning. At Cas's dubious look, he added, "I rarely get sick." Cas raised a disbelieving eyebrow at him before focusing on his soup. "It's really good," he said after his first spoonful.

"I helped Daddy make it," Henry excitedly to him, voice muffled by the mask.

"Well, you did a really good." Henry preened. "So," Cas slowly said, "how was school?" Dean smothered his laugh at the seemingly innocent face Cas had directed to Henry.

Henry ducked his head as he fiddled with his thumbs. "It was okay," he mumbled, the mask making it sound all-the-more quiet.

Cas hummed as he went to get more of his soup, humming in delight as he took another spoonful, making Dean's chest puff up. "Did anything interesting happen?"

Henry hid his face in Cas's side and whined, "Cas." Dean and Cas laughed until Cas cut off with a series of coughs, less wet this time. Dean observed himself relaxing all that much more.

Cas then smirked at Dean, and Dean glared in warning. "So," Cas drawled.

"Cas."

"How was work?" he finished, un-reprimanded.

Dean rolled his eyes in exaggeration and said, "It was fine."

"Did any--"

"Eat your soup," Dean interrupted him with a mild glare, and Henry giggled at them. Cas went back to his soup with a smile on his face, and Dean felt better than he figured Cas felt.

"Thanks," Cas said when he finished, satisfying Dean even though he didn't touch the garlic bread, but Henry did.

"You're welcome," Dean said taking the tray. "No get some rest."

"But I'm not tired," Cas complained.

"Daddy can read to you!" Henry loudly suggested--or as loud as he could given the mask he was wearing--before Dean could open his mouth.

"That's sounds like wonderful idea," Cas said, sounding so earnest, even though Dean could tell he was cracking up inside. "Why don't you so pick a book." Henry scurried off to his room. Dean glared at Cas, who smiled sweetly at him, and Dean was greatly affected by it, coupled with his rosy cheek.

Dean left and returned to find Henry in his original position with _Goodnight Moon_ on his lap.

"Daddy, hurry up!"

"I'm coming." Dean rolled his eye before sitting neck to him and taking the book. "In the great green room..."

~~~✴~~~

Dean did end up getting sick, and he was greatly chastised by Henry while Cas looked on, fully healed and immensely enjoying himself.

~~~✴~~~

"Dad! Cas! Wake up!" Henry shouted, and Dean shot up, heart racing as he frantically looked around for any signs of trouble. Finding none, he looked back to his son, who was grinning at him with unbridled joy.

Cas's chin rested on his naked shoulder as he addressed Henry. "Henry, it's after five in the morning. You can't go around shouting like that," Cas lightly reprimanded him.

"But it's Christmas!"

Dean threw his head back and groaned in exasperation. His fast beating heart was finally calming down.

Cas kissed his shoulder to soothe him. "I know, sweetheart," Cas said in a comforting voice, "but it's still too early. Why don't you come up here with us, then we'll open our presents in an hour or so, okay?"

Henry looked torn, as if he was debating if he wanted to open his presents or come snuggled up with them. He finally made a decision and ran up to them and onto the bed, moving them around until they were lying down with him in the middle.

"You're a handful," Dean for grumbled without any heat, and he relentlessly tickled Henry.

"Daddy, stopped," Henry squealed as he laughed as tried to get away from Dean's fingers, pushing more into Cas's body. Cas didn't offer any protection as he, too, started to tickle Henry. They finally stopped torturing Henry and cuddled close together. Sleep was the furthest thing from their minds, as it was whenever Henry 'slept' with them.

Their hour long cuddle session got cut down to half an hour when Henry got restless, begging them to let him open his presents. So they three of them made their way downstairs, where Cas when to the kitchen to make some hot cocoa while Dean and Henry went to the living room to sort out the present.

Cas came back with cups of hot cocoa, and Dean's looked at the big box Henry was standing next to to his face with a conspiratorial look on his face. It was a no brainer deciding what to get Henry.

"Can I open it now, please?" Henry begged.

"This one's from Cas and me," Dean told him Henry distractedly nodded, no doubt thinking about what was inside. Dean nodded his okay and watched with wry amusement as Henry ripped the wrapping paper off. Henry gasped as soon as he opened the box. Henry pulled out a small Dalmatian with a red jacket and firefighter helmet with a paw prints in the center of the badge on it.

"Marshall!" Henry exclaimed hugging the dog tight before putting him down and reaching into the box again. "Skye!" Henry hugged the blonde Cockpoo with a pink vest and pink goggles on her head close to him chest. He then put her down next the first and sat on the floor, pulling the box down. He then dragged out the rest excitedly shouting out their names: Chase for the German Shepard in a dark blue police uniform, Rubble for the English Bulldog with the hardhat, Zuma for the chocolate Labrador in the red waterskiing gear, and Rocky for the gary mix breed with the red and white cap and red jacket with a button with the recycling sticker on it.

Henry loudly and merrily laughed as he hugged all his new stuffed animals. His head then shot up as he stared wide eyed at them before launching himself onto Cas. "Thank you-thank you." He hugged Cas tight before kissing his cheeks.

"You're welcome," Cas responded with a little laugh. Dean wasn't sure if it was because of the kiss or the fact that Henry had remembered his manners. Maybe it was both. Henry then threw himself at Dean, giving him the same treatment.

"You're welcome, buddy," Dean said, kissing his cheeks in return. Dean set him down before sitting down himself. "This is from Henry and me," he said, holding out the small box with blue wrappings paper with gold vines and leaf on it--Henry's choice. Henry stopped playing with his toys to watch Cas open his present and throw his head back with a boisterous laugh. 

Cas pulled out the bronze chain from the box, showing off the bronze pocket watch. It was engraved on the front. The first ring had small tree branches carved in it, followed by a ring of rope in then another ring with Aztecs symbols, and finally the center had a had a Chinese dragon with a phoenix circling it-- Cas's two favorite mythical creatures. When Cas had dressed up as Penguin, Dean had joked about him not having a pocket watch, and he confessed that Gabriel had broken it. So, what was Dean to do but get him one?

"You're ridiculous," Cas fondly said, before leaning forward to kiss him. "I love it. Thank you." Cas turned to Henry to kiss his forehead. "Thank you." Henry grinned before focusing on his his toys. Dean snorted. Henry could care less what happened next. His part was done.

"My turn," Cas announced, putting down the watch and picking up the flat, rectangular present in red wrapping paper with gold ribbons. Dean had a guess as to what it was, but he didn't say anything and took the present form Cas. His eyebrows shot up and his mouth hanged down as he stared at the present in his hand. "You said that was one of your favorite records," Cas explained, but Dean was still trying to get over his disbelief. In his hands was a vinyl record of _News of the World_ by Queen, signed by all four member.

"Wh-how?"

"Balthazar knows that guy, Alan, that sell records," Cas explained. "And I once pretended to be his boyfriend because one of his ex-girlfriends was stalking him because she didn't believe he was really over her, and he really wanted to get rid of her. After that, he said he owed me one, no matter what it was. I didn't think I would need it until now, so I called him up, and he put me in contact with one of his exes--this was an amicable break up this time--, who sold it to me. Well, she sold it Balthazar who mailed it to me."

"This must have caused a fortune." Dean eventually found his voice to make complete sentences.

"Not really," Cas shrugged. "Like I said, he owed me one. Besides, I have saved up enough money over the years."

"Cas--" Dean when to complain because he didn't want Cas wasting the money he saved up over the years to be wasted on him, but Cas interrupted him.

"Michael and Lucifer suck at giving presents so they just give me money instead. And it started becoming ridiculous amounts the more successful their firm got." Cas chuckled, a little hysterical. "And I told them this year not to give me anything, or I'll be mad. I don't even want to think about how much they would have sent me this time." Cas shuddered a little. "So I'm not spending my entire life's savings on just one girt--I'm just spending theirs." A wayward chuckled escaped Dean. Cas smiled at him before shyly asking, "Do you like it?"

Dean leaned forward and molded his mouth to Cas, heatedly kissing him as well as nipping on his bottom lip. After a few moments of their tongues dancing around each, Dean pulled back and breathlessly said, "I love it, and I love you even more."

Cas laughed again as Dean wondered just what he did to deserve this wonderful man. Whatever it was, he was just happy he did it.

~~~✴~~~

"Nana, look what Cas made!" Henry shouted as soon as the door opened, running off to find his nana with the crystal knight in his handed. He had wanted to show her since the night Cas had shown him but waited today to surprise her.

Dean let him run off to burn off all the pancakes and maple syrup he had this morning. Dean walked off to the living room while Cas trailed after Henry. Dean snorted at the seven foot tree his mom had and put the present he brought with him under it before turning to the group of people there. From the looks of it, they were the last ones here, which wasn't surprising since Henry didn't want to come out of the bathtub and took forever picking something to wear.

Dean hung up his coat in the closet by the stairwell before returning. "Scoot over," he instructed Charlie and sitting down on the couch before she could, pushing her closer to Sam and Jess, who were already sitting there.

"Jesus," she hissed as she squirmed to get comfortable. "What the hell is Cas feeding you?"

"Love," Cas yelled from the kitchen, and Dean faced colored with embarrassment as a chorus of broke out around him. Dean debating if he should hide his face in Charlie's shoulder or run and hide.

Sam was the first to recover and asked, "So, what did Santa bring you?"

"A signed copy of _News of the World_ ," Dean simply stated, not raising to the bait. It got insanely quist really quickly, mostly due to the fact that Dean had quite avidly made his love for the album known.

"No way," Ash said in disbelief, shaking his head.

"Yep."

"How?" Sam asked.

"That's a long story that I'm not sure if Cas wants me telling," Dean replied.

"It's fine, Dean," Cas yelled.

"Some friend of his brother asked him of pretend to be his boyfriend to scare off some crazy ex of his, so Cas did, and the guy owed him a favor than Cas cashed in and got the guy to ask another ex of him to sell it to Cas at a cheaper price."

Silence followed until Cas shouted, "Close enough!" sending them into a fit of laughter again.

"So where is it?" Ash asked.

"It's at home," Cas answered for him, walking into the living room with a plate of cookies in one hand and Henry's hand in the other. Henry was already munching on one. "And he's probably not going to let anyone touch it until he has it framed." Cas rolled his eyes then sat down next to the coffee table with Henry.

"Well-No," Dean whined when his mom entered the room with a large white picture album.

"Ignore him," Cas told her. "I've been waiting for this for a long time."

Dean scowl him. "Just you wait until it's your turn."

Cas smirked at him. "All the photo albums are in Pontiac with Michael. Good luck getting them."

Mary chuckled at them before sitting by the coffee table with her back to Dean. She opened the album and pointed. "This was the day Dean was born, and as you can see by the crying, he wanted us to know how loud he could be. Something that remained true to this day."

"Mom!" Dean complained while most of the people there tried to hide their smiles or cover their laughs.

"He was cute," Cas offhandedly said, peering down at the picture.

"Not as cute as me, right?" Henry worriedly asked.

"Of course not," Cas indignantly replied, like he was offended that Henry would ever think that. Dean did hide his face using Charlie's shoulder as it shook with laughter, which was mimicked by nearly everyone there.

"No this one was..." she said, and Dean tuned her out, not wanting to relive the embarrassing moments of his life.

Dean finally resurfaced after she called Cas's name. He didn't respond but was staring at one of the pictures with a skeptical look on his face. "That's Dean?" he asked, pointing to a picture on the top right corner.

"Yeah," his mom answered. Either she didn't see Cas's expression or she thought nothing of it, but it was confusing Dean. "He was six then, and that's Sam, standing next to him. He was two at the time. That was when John signed Dean up for the Boy's Scouts. Dean hated it," she laughed, unaware that Cas was barely listening to her. "He only lasted two days before we had to take him out."

Dean vaguely remembered that time. It rained the entire first night, and his partner wouldn't stop crying. Worst of all was that a cat got into their tent then next day--the day Dean found out about his hatred of Cats and his allergy. It was just a horrible experience, one Henry would never go through. Henry was only going camping with family members. People he could trust and rely on, not--

"I've met you before." Cas's words cut off his internal ranting short

"What?" His mind couldn't grapple with what Cas was telling him. He heard the words; he just didn't know what to do with them.

"I've met you before," Cas repeated, looking at Dean as if he was seeing him in a new light while he was searching for something. Dean didn't know what. "When I was six. The day I broke my arm."

"The day your dad--"

"Yeah."

"But I was never in Pontiac," Dean pointed out. Part of him wanted to be true, but Cas was mistaken; he was never there.

"You were," Cas refuted, looking so damn sure. "It was they day I broke my arm and had to get it cast. And my dad took me to see Missouri because she--"

As sharp intake of air cut Cas off, and everyone turned to look at his dad, who was sitting on the couch across from Dean with Bobby and Ellen. He stared wide eyed at Cas. "Shit," he swore, "I forgot about that."

"Forgot what?" Dean demanded. Was it true?

"It's obvious you don't remember," his dad said more to himself that Dean, looking just as disbelieving as Cas right now. "When you were six, you convinced you mother to let me take you with me to Ohio to get these parts for the shop. And while we were coming back, I decided to drop in and visit Missouri because--"

"She had her appendix taken out."

His dad nodded to Cas. "I took you to the hospital to see her."

Then it all came back to Dean: him begging his mom to klt him go, the long car ride to Ohio to get the parts from the really tall guy with the long beard then the hospital and return ride home.

"I thought that was Michigan!" Dean yelled, moving to the edge of his seat.

"Michigan?" various confused people questioned.

"That's why Missouri told us when she first moved here, and you never told me that was Pontiac," Dean accused.

"Yes, I did!" his father shouted, affronted.

"No, you didn't," Dean refuted. "The only thing I remember is waking up in front of a hospital, and you telling me we were going to meet a friend."

His dad opened his mouth then close it then opened it again. "I thought I told you."

Dean groaned and buried his face in hands, and Mary shouted, "John!"

"What?" he indignantly said. "I thought I did."

Dean leveled his father with a glare, and he gave a sheepish smile, before looking Cas. Dean remembered a lot about that trip because it was his very first road trip with his dad, and he made sure he took in everything he saw, smelled, and experienced from the foods he ate to the places he saw to even some of the people he met. But he didn't remember seeing anyone that resembled Cas. He would remember meeting some dark haired, blue eyed kid, but--

There was a tiny spark somewhere inside Dean's head that send everything into overdrive, awakening some dormant part of his mind that supplied him with a number of images of people he didn't know. One of them stood out though.

"You grew out your hair," Dean softly said, and Cas's face shone with his relief then with his smile.

"When I was thirteen," Cas said. "I have always loved my hair short but woke up one day and decided I wanted to grow it out. I still can't believe that was you." Dean was still trying to wrap his head around it, too. "Looking at you now, I can't believe I didn't make the connection. Sure, you have more freckles now, and your skin is more tanned and your facial features are sharper, but you're still the same."

Dean could relate. Sure, Cas wasn't the skinny kid in from his memory, but Dean could see where he filled out: his chest, his arms and his cheeks. His eyes were still that dark midnight blue. He still had that intense stare.

"I feels just like yesterday," Cas went one saying. "Like it was just yesterday you were walking out of Missouri's room and down the hall with your Green Lantern action figure."

"And you were walking towards us with you white cast, just staring at it," Dean smiled a small smile.

"I remember wanting to ask you if you'll let my play with it."

"I remember wanting to ask you if I could sign your cast."

Slowly the world fade to the background, and all Dean could focus on was the awe in Cas's eyes, which he was sure was mirrored in his. What were the odds that they would meet when they were younger then meet up twenty-two year later? And because of a person they didn't know they had in common until recently.

"I asked my dad to buy me one," Cas informed him, "but none of them were the right color. They weren't the right shade of green." Cas avoided his eyes while his cheeks colored. "They weren't the color of your eyes." Dean thought he heard a faint 'aww,' but he wasn't too sure. "I remember thinking you had really pretty eyes." Something he still thought to this day, Dean mused. "It didn't matter that I could find the right color, though, because I got to play with it. Your mom kept your old toys, and she lets Henry play with them when he comes over. And more often than not, he wants me to play with him."

Dean noticed Henry nodding, and he had been oddly quiet throughout this entire revelation. Maybe he subconsciously knew the severity of this incident.

"And I got to sign your cast, even if it wasn't the same one," Dean reminded him, thinking about the green cast. "Did you like green before..." Dean trailed off when Cas's shy smile told him his answer.

"My dad kept my cast," Cas told him. "And if we ever do go to Pontiac, I'm sure we can find space for you to sign your name."

"I look forward to it," Dean said, meaning every word but intending it more to make Cas blush, which he did. The smile on Dean's face turned teasing. "You think I have pretty eyes?"

"You're incorrigible," Cas said, rolling his eyes. "I don't even know why I thought you were cute."

"Whoa, you thought I was cute?" Dean asked, astonished, watching horror crept onto Cas's face as he realized what he said.

"No, I didn't," Cas denied, and Dean was about to call bullshit when Cas spoke again. "Not until you smiled at me."

Dean didn't remember for sure if he smiled at Cas, but he did remember Cas looking and noticing that he was caught staring. He did remember the widened eyes and painted cheek, and Cas ducking his head and shyly smiling at the floor.

"Oh, my god," Dean exclaimed. "You had a crush on me," he accused.

"And I got teased the whole summer by Gabriel and Balthazar because of it," Cas shot back, not even attempting to deny it.

"I want to say I'm sorry about that--" he really did, "--but how awesome is this? You had a crush on me the first time you met me, and then when you met met later on at Eckan." Cas couldn't possibly deny the last on. He admitted it to Dean. He admitted just how much he liked Dean since that first meeting.

"I guess I was fated to fall for you," Cas said a little sardonically. Dean didn't know about fate or destiny or any of that other crap, but he was beginning to think that Cas and he were somehow bound to end up here all along.

"I guess so," Dean simpered. And Cas returned the smile.

A sniffle broke them of their little bubble.

"Mom, are you crying?" Dean incredulously asked.

"No." She sniffled again and wiped her eyes. Dean looked around to share his incredulity but saw too many wet eyes.

"I thought we agreed to not do this again," Dean pitifully complained.

"You always liked Daddy?" Dean heard Henry asked, and he turned to see him sitting on Cas's lap.

"Well, I can't say that I have always loved him," Cas told him, "but I can say that a part of me did like him then, and that part liked him again when I saw him. And that part is much, much bigger now, but not as big as the part that loves you," Cas cooed and tickled his tummy and making him giggle.

"I love you, too!" Henry beamed.

"Oh, my god. I can't," Charlie said, fanning her eyes with her hands.

Dean disregarded her in favor of lovingly gaze at the two beings filling his heart with warmth. Dean was also starting to think he had a small part of him that fell for Cas then and then now. How else was he supposed to explain why he fell for Cas so fast and so hard? But that didn't matter now because he felt, and there was a much bigger part that loved Cas.

~~~✴~~~

"I still can't believe we've met before," Cas said once again as Dean walked leaned against the bathroom door. Dean didn't say anything as rinsed the toothpaste out and wiped his mouth clean. As soon as he turned around, Dean crowded him up against the bathroom sink, feverishly attacking Cas's mouth with. Cas eagerly gave Dean access to his mouth as he held onto Dean waist--the one pressing him that much more into to the sink.

Dean hungrily accept the access to him mouth and swept his tongue over whatever surface was available to him. Dean abruptly stopped his exploration with his tongue to lightly suck and nip on Cas's bottom lips. The need to breath finally got the better of them, and they separated.

"Wanted to do this so badly," Dean keenly said, kissing a trail up Cas's neck. Cas's hip bucked when Dean's mouth latched onto the side of his jaw, their growing erections pushing against each other.

"Dean," Cas rasped out as Dean sucked on the skin there. He understood what Dean meant. He had never wanted to kiss Dean so badly than this morning. It took all his willpower not to jump at Dean in that moment when he realized how connected they really were.

Dean obviously was done thinking about that since he removed his mouth from Cas's chin and started sucking bruising marks on Cas's neck and running his tongue over the skin in his mouth, making Cas grip tighter onto his hips. One of Dean's hands found its way to Cas's thigh while the other was lost in Cas's hair as it pulled back Cas's neck to allow him greater access. As if Cas would deny him now.

"Bed," Cas breathed out because if Dean sucked any harder, his knees were going to give out. Dean grunted, sending shivers through Cas's body, and grabbed onto the back of Cas's thigh. Cas wrapped both legs around Dean's midsection as Dean lifted him up and out of the bathroom, not once removing his mouth from Cas's neck.

Dean dropped him on the bed then quickly pulled of his own shirt while Cas did the same with his. Dean was even faster to pants off, pulling it down along with his boxer, before he was on top of Cas and kissing him. Dean then started slowly kissing his way down Cas's chest, getting to his navel before kissing his up again and attaching his mouth to Cas's left nipple.

"Dean!" Cas harshly hissed as Dean started to bite and lick his nipple, teasing it between his teeth. One of Cas's arms was draped over Dean's back while the other with pulling at Dean's hair as Dean continued to nip at his nipple.

Dean eventually let go and started removing Cas's jeans and his boxer, hazardously tossing them to the side. Dean buried his nose in the hairs on the base of Cas's cock and deeply inhaled, setting Cas's body aflame. Cas tightly gripped the duvet as Dean took his whole length into his mouth in one go. Dean slowly worked his way up Cas's length, stopping at the head of his cock and swirling his tongue around it before slowly making his way back down. Cas tried desperately not to trash about or buck his hip, but failed. When he did buck, he sent his cock deeper into Dean's mouth, and Dean gladly accepted it, humming around Cas's cock.

Cas felt heat pooling at the base of his stomach. "Dean" he said and in warning, and Dean pulled back, leaving him bereft.

"Not yet," Dean huskily said. Cas could see his pupils blown wide, even with the lack of light. Dean got off the bed and walked to the closet where the keep the lube and condoms. "Shit," he swore.

"What?" Cas asked, still breathing hard.

"We're out of condoms."

"Then we won't use one," Cas replied, wanting to get on with this already. "Frankly, I'm surprised we still used them."

"You're sure?" Dean asked.

"Dean," Cas shamelessly whined, and Dean closed the closet and returned to the bed with the black bottle of lube. He kneeled between Cas's parted legs, uncapped the bottle and poured some in his hand. He lathered up his fingers before pushing the first one in. There was little resistance, as if his body had become so used to Dean's fingers. Dean slowly fingered him for a few seconds before adding at seconds one, making Cas's arch up.

Dean curled his fingers, and Cas fisted his mouth to stop from crying put. Dean then added a third finger and started fingering hm at a faster rate, and the warm sensation and tightening of his stomach returned faster than Cas wanted.

"Dean," Cas throatily said, ad Dean removed his fingers.

"Turn over," he instructed, and Cas swiftly did, lifting his ass in the air when he was done. Cas heard the bottle uncap again, and it wasn't long before Dean was spreading his legs farther apart and lining himself up with Cas's pucker hole. Dean slowly pushed his cock into his and they both hissed. No matter how many times Dean had fucked him, Cas could never get over the size of Dean. He could never get over how far Dean stretched him. But this was different. This was purely Dean, and Cas's desire was making thinking a chore.

A few seconds later, Dean was fully seated and waiting for him to adjust. "Move," Cas hissed out, making him chuckle. Dean started to slowly fucking him as Cas bit on the duvet to stop from screaming in pleasure at have skin of Dean's cock rub up against his insides. "Faster," Cas demanded, and Dean hurriedly obliged, fucking him at a faster rate and hitting his prostate with every thrust.

Cas pushed back after a few moments, and Dean understood, pounding that much faster and harder into Cas. And Cas pushed his ass back to meet his thrusts, always trying to get Deen deeper into him. He finally stopped when Dean had set an unrelenting pace and took hold of his own cock and jerking himself off. It wasn't long after that the pit of his stomach tightened and he aimed his cock upward, spilling over his hand and onto his chest.

His hole tightened around the cock rapidly pushing in and out of him, and soon Dean was swearing and filling him with his seed, over and over again.

Dean collapsed onto Cas's sweat soaked back as they both tried to get their breathing under control. After a minute or two, Dean pulled out his softened cock, making Cas hiss out. He kissed Cas's shoulder blade before getting off him.

Cas collapsed onto his back and tried to stop the cum from running out of him. The other thing he couldn't get over was just how much Dean seemed to come in one go. He didn't really realize until one day when he was giving Dean a blowjob, and Dean keep shooting warm cum down his throat.

Cas was pulled out of his thoughts when the bed dipped, and a cool wet cloth was between his legs wiping up the cum there before wiping off his hand, stomach and cock. Dean threw the cloth to the side of the bed and buried his face in Cas neck, kissing the marks he left there.

"We're never using a condom ever again," Dean passionately said, making Cas laugh out loud

"Agreed," Cas said before pushing Dean off, so he could get the both under the covers. Once he was down, Dean had Cas on his sides while he buried his face again in Cas's neck and wrapped his arms round his middle.

"We should do that again, soon," Dean mumbled.

"Whatever you want," Cas promised, even though he knew Dean was nodding off. Today was quite an eventful day for both of them. But it further cemented the fact that this was what was meant for him, and he couldn't be happier.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I need a new rock to hide under. The things I write sometimes, Sheesh!
> 
> Remember to practice safe sex, guys! Where is that damn rock?! 
> 
> Thanks for Reading.


	15. Variable: Titles

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cas goes on a visit, and there is a birthday.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What is this? Another chapter? Lucky you. Lol.
> 
> Hope you guys enjoy this one.

"Are you sure you have to go?" Dean asked, sulking. Cas didn't respond to him and kept his back facing Dean as he put the last of his clothes into the little black suitcase. When Cas finished zipping up his suitcase, Dean came up from behind him, wrapping his arms around his waist and hooking his chin on Cas's shoulder, making him sigh.

Cas rested his hand on Dean's arm and said, "I promised Anna I would be there for when her baby is born." Dean knew about the promise they made each other when they were younger, to be there when they had their first child, but he wasn't too thrilled about it. And from what Cas told, Anna wasn't so thrilled about Cas finding Henry when she was stuck in Seattle, so he had to be there no matter what. Dean simply thought it would be a while before Cas visited any of his siblings. Okay, a part of him was hoping Cas would never visit them. They would visit him instead, as they seemed to be doing up until now.

Dean had a taste of what life was like without Cas--even if he was in the same house--, and he didn't want to know what it would feel like when Cas wasn't actually here. If Henry and he were so depressed after one day, what was to become of them in the week that Cas was going to be away. He shuddered and held Cas that much tighter.

"And even if I didn't have to, I want to," Cas added, pressing more into Dean. "I missed the birth of my nephew, and I don't want to miss the birth of my niece."

"The first wasn't your fault," Dean grumbled, resting his head against Cas's.

"I know," Cas sighed, "but I still missed it. And I think Michael is still beating himself up because of that. Or Rachel is, from what I heard."

Cas had found out later than Rachel had chewed out Michael and Lucifer when she found out what they did. She threw Lucifer out and sent him back to his apartment and had Michael sleep on the couch for a month. And while Dean had yet to meet her, he knew he liked her already from all the stories. Cas had told him she was close to Missouri in personality and didn't take shit from anyone. Cas also told him he didn't contact her because he didn't want her slipping up and giving away where he was living, but got updates about her health and the health of the baby from Gabriel.

"I'm going to miss you," Dean admitted, marveling at how far he had come from not wanting to admit how he felt to having his feelings roll right off his tongue.

Cas squeezed the arm around his waist and said, "I'll miss you, too. But it's only going to be for a week, and we'll talk and Skype as much as you want." Dean held him tighter because it wouldn't be the same. Nothing had been the same since this morning. Cas was leaving, and he was taking all the warmth with him. "Is Henry still mad at me?" Cas asked, and Dean wanted to laugh but found he couldn't.

Cas turned around and cupped his cheeks. "Hey," he softly said. "You've been okay without me here for so long. A week will be nothing. You'll be fine."

Dean wanted to tell him he had been happy then, but not as happy as he was after Cas entered their lives, but he held his tongue because he was being ridiculous. Cas wasn't going away for good. He was going away for a short time. And Dean was being selfish by denying him the chance to see the birth of his niece.

Dean stepped back and nodded his head . Cas gave him a searching look before asking, "You good?" Dean nodded again, giving him a wan smile, which was good enough from Cas, who grinned back. "Good. Now on to the second Winchester." Dean did laugh this time, gruffer than usual. Cas took his hand and dragged him off to Henry's room.

Henry was on the floor with his _Paw Patrol_ dogs surrounding him whilst he was playing with a train set his nana gave him. He looked up when they walked in, glared at Cas and turned away. Cas lightly chuckled and let go of his hand. He moved the dogs from behind Henry and wrapped his arms around Henry's middle.

"Cas," Henry whined and tried to squirm out of his hold, but Cas held on.

"I'm not letting you go until you forgive me," Cas told him then pretended to bite his neck, making him squeal and wildly kick his feet.

"Cas, stop!" Henry squeaked, laughing as loud as he could.

Cas drew his head back and shouted, "Never!" attacking his neck again. Henry squealed louder, and Dean was filled with so much love for the two of them that he was tempted to just lock Cas in Henry's room. Now that the sounds his home was missing was finally back.

The warmth coursing through his body died down as the laughter did, but Dean still had jubilant smile on his face as he watched their red faces. Everything them turned somber when Cas gathered Henry close to him.

"I'm going to miss you so much," Cas said into Henry neck, voice cracking a bit, along with Dean's heart.

"I'm going to miss you, too," Henry whispered back.

Cas pulled back and turned Henry, resting his forehead on Henry's. "Your dad has his computer set up, so I'll be able to read to you every night," Cas reminded him. "And if you ever miss me, you just need to ask your dad or Nana or Grandpa or anybody else, and they'll call me okay." Cas sniffed a little, and Henry nodded his head and a tear slipped down. Cas moved their heads apart. "I thought we weren't going to cry."

"You're crying," Henry retorted, and Dean chuckled at him before what was left of his heart shattered inside his chest when Henry brokenly asked, "You're coming back, right?" Thick tears were streaming down his face.

"Oh, baby," Cas cooed and gathered him close again as he massaged the back of Henry's head. "Of course, I'm coming back." That was why Henry was so upset with Cas, Dean realized. He thought that if Cas left them he wouldn't come back to them. He was afraid that Anna would keep Cas and not give him back. 'Buddy,' Dean morosely thought.

"You promise?" Henry asked in a small voice that was muffled by Cas's chest.

Cas held him tighter, eyes still wet. "I promise I'm coming back," Cas sincerely told him. "I'll always come back to you." It felt like the floor gave out under Dean because a part of him knew that to be the absolute truth. Cas would move Heaven and Hell to get back to Henry.

Henry pushed Cas back and looked him intensely in the eye. "You love me more, right?"

"Oh, sweety," Cas cooed, using his thumbs to wipe the tears away. "I love you so, so, so much, Henry. Anna's baby isn't going to chance that."

Dean had it wrong. Henry wasn't purely concerned that Cas wouldn't be coming back. Henry was concerned that Cas would love the new baby more than him. Dean should have guessed given the way he acted with the twins.

"B-but you love me more?" Henry hiccupped.

"Oh--"

"Cas," he pitifully whined.

Cas weakly chuckled. "I love you more, Henry." Cas then kissed both his cheeks and his forehead. For his son's sake, Dean hoped Cas truly believed that, and he wasn't just saying it to appease Henry.

Henry used his palms to wipe Cas's eyes dry then picked up the German Shepherd in the police uniform and handed him to Cas. "You take Chase with you."

Dean threw back his head and let out a bellowing laugh. That was one way to get Cas to return to them: give him his favorite stuffed animal.

"I'll take really good care of him," Cas solemnly said, taking the stuffed animal from him. "Are you still angry with me?" Henry shook his head. "Are you going to the airport with Daddy and me?" Henry nodded and got off Cas long enough for him to stand up before he was back in Cas's arms.

"I'll get your suitcase and met you by the car," Dean told Cas, who nodded.

When Dean came outside, Cas was getting Henry into the car seat, and Dean put his suitcase in the trunk. The ride to the airport was a quiet affair with Dean holding onto Cas's hand the entire ride there. To Dean's relief, Henry didn't tear up when it was time to say goodbye, but he did squeeze the life out of Cas and made him promise he'll call everyday and to not forget he promised to read to him.

"I promise," Cas laughed the pit him down. "Be good to your dad for me." Henry studiously nodded. "And take care of him for me." Cas winked at him, making him laugh.

Dean stepped up and cupped Cas's face, kissing him with all his might. He pulled away before it became too obscene for innocent eyes. "Take care of yourself," Dean thickly said.

"I will," Cas promised, and Dean gave him a quick kiss.

Cas gave them a quick wave before he was off to look for his terminal.

Dean picked up Henry, and they held onto each other then held each other tighter some time later as they watched Cas's plane take off, getting smaller and smaller by the second.

The car ride home was as quiet at the ride to the airport, but the atmosphere on the car was gloomy and heavy. Neither Winchesters wanted to break the silence.

"Why don't you pick out a movie for us, bud?" Dean said as they walked into the house. Henry slowly nodded and Dean placed him on the floor and watched with a sad expression as he dragged his feet. Dean went up to his room to get his laptop, the one Charlie helped him buy and learn how to operate for things like this. mostly it was so that he could keep track of how their website was doing.

Dean brought it down to the living room with the charger and turned it on and left it on the coffee table. He took the DVD Henry held up and sadly smiled at Henry when he saw that he chose _Beauty and the Beast_ \--Cas's favorite _Disney_ movie. Dean popped the DVD in and lay down on the couch with Henry sprawled out on top of him as they used the movie to pass the time until Cas called them or _Skyped_ with them.

It wasn't until seven hours later, after three movies and dinner, consisting of sweet and spicy chicken and rice--because Henry developed a love for spicy foods--, that Cas finally decided to _Skype_ with them.

"I'm so sorry about not calling earlier, but when I got here Anna and Jeff took me out to eat at this Greek restaurant then for frozen yoghurt, and the only reason we're home right now is because of swollen ankles," Cas said in one go, sounding and looking so fed up with his sister towards the end. Dean would let him go on and on if he wanted because it was so good to hear his voice. Cas quickly composed himself and asked, "How's everything over there?"

"Quiet." The word was out of Dean's mouth before he could even think about it.

"Yeah," Henry confirmed. Cas threw his head back and laughed, and it didn't matter that it wasn't as clear on their end or that room behind Cas was dark. To Dean, it was a beautiful sight. "I miss you," Henry dolefully said.

Cas's entire demeanor became subdue. "I miss you, too," Cas softly said. "So much. Anna's not as much fun to talk to." Cas pouted. Henry shot him a sympathetic look, and Dean had to roll his eyes. "But that's okay because I have my favorite talker in front of me." Henry grinned like crazy at him and told him about what they did since the airport, which wasn't much, but Henry made it seemed as if they did a plethora of things. And Dean didn't know how Henry could talk about spicy chicken for half an hour. What was even more spectacular was that Cas looked genuinely interested and nodded and hummed at the appropriate times.

It wasn't until two hours later and bedtime that Henry finally talked himself out and allowed Dean to wrestle him into his pajamas. Cas made good on his word and read to him. Then it was just the two of them.

"So how are you holding up?" Cas smirked.

Dean rolled his eyes but answered with, "I'm fine." He was truthful about that. While he missed Cas, he hadn't broken down, bawling his eyes out. Maybe because he spent the the whole time staring at the crystal knight hanging on the Christmas tree. (Was the second week of January and acceptable time for one to take their Christmas tree down?) The knight was a simple reminder that he was something important in Cas's life, and Cas was coming back to them. He only needed to be a little patient.

"Because I miss you like crazy. And it rains way to much here, and Anna's kitchen is tiny." Dean burst laughing at the aghast look on his face. Dean was pretty sure Cas made the same face when he first saw her kitchen. "It's not funny, Dean," he groused with a smile on his face.

"Of course," Dean said in mock seriousness. Cas tried to keep a straight face but broke out laughing, Dean following right behind him. Cas then yawned and Dean told him to go to bed.

"But I'm not tired," he pouted. "Read to me."

"Cas," Dean playfully warned, causing him to chuckle.

"Okay-okay," He held his hands up, "I'm going. Night. Love you."

"I love you, too," Dean said and smiled at Cas, and neither of them ended the call.

Cas huffed. "Bye," he said before ending the call making Dean chuckle under his breath.

Dean went to bed that night think that Cas was right. He'll be fine.

~~~✴~~~

Dean was so wrong. Things weren't fine. They weren't terrible, but they certainly were peachy. Dean slept about two hours the first night because apparently he couldn't sleep without Cas next to him. He tried hugging Cas's pillow and that relaxed him but not to the point where he would drift off to sleep. The only thing that got him to fall asleep was one of Cas's t-shirts that he didn't wash, which meant it still smiled like him. Dean said it worked because he didn't remember falling asleep.

And by the way Henry looked the next dad, he wasn't doing that well either. By some unspoken agreement, they ended up sleeping in the same bed and was able get some decent sleep.

When Dean said that house was quiet, he wasn't kidding. He never expected it to get quieter. Dean and Henry had reduced themselves to doing everything in the living room, where the TV would be on as background noise. They have also spent an indistinguishable amount of time cuddling with one another. Neither complained about the arrangements, but it wasn't all that fulfilling.

Dean wasn't being needy. Henry and he could survive without Cas. It was just that they didn't want to. Dean wanted to hold a hand that wasn't the same size as him palm for a change. He wanted someone to kiss him awake that wasn't his son on some days. He wanted to come downstairs to a dark haired man with a wide smile handing him his coffee. He missed crowding said dark haired man up in the kitchen or the hallway or their bedroom and kissing him until he knees gave out.

He missed waking up in bed and lying there as they touched and talked about any and everything.

Simply put, he wanted Cas so badly.

And because of this need not being filled, Dean's mood had turned dark, which would explain why Sam burst through his door, telling him to get dressed because they were going out.

"Go away, Sam," Dean weakly complained as Henry grumbled under his breath at being woken up. Dean sat up, holding on Henry, as he glared at his monstrous brother. He rubbed a soothing hand down Henry back, and Henry faced Sam, no doubt to glare at him.

"Sorry," Sam said, shamefaced. Then to Dean he said, "Get dressed we're going out."

Dean was about to tell where he should go when a familiar tune started playing, signalling an incoming _Skype_ call. Henry instantly perked up and got off Dean. Dean quickly fixed Henry's hair then his, ignoring Sam's incredulous gaze. Dean accepted the call and plastered on his best smile.

"Hi, Cas!" Henry happily greeted. And one wouldn't think Henry had been sleeping mere minutes ago.

"Hi, sweety," Cas smiled at him. "Hello, Dean." Dean grinned at the familiar greeting and felt his depressed state draw back away a little.

"Hey, Cas."

"Hi, Cas," Sam said, plopping down next to Dean, ignoring the glare Dean sent him. "How's the baby?"

Lucy Victoria Milton was born two day after Cas went to Seattle, on a Thursday. Form all the pictures Cas had sent, she was a tiny baby with skin as pale as Anna's and  hadthe same red hair. She didn't have a sharp nose like the Novaks but a rounder one like Jeff. And Cas suspected that she would have lighter eyes that Anna, probably gray.

"She's doing great," Cas answered. "So how come you're over here?"

Sam practically lit up. "I'm here to take Dean to the _Roadhouse_ , but he doesn't want to go."

Cas frowned. "Why not?"

"Well--"

"Because he's tired and doesn't want to go out," Dean cut him off.

Cas ignored him in favor of glancing at Sam. "Sam?"

"He and Henry are sulking," Sam happily answered and grinned triumphantly at Dean.

"I am not," Dean heatedly denied. And if Henry wasn't standing between his legs, Dean would have reached over and throttled his brother.

"Funny," Cas mused, "that's not what your mother said."

"What?" Dean said, bewildered.

"She said you and Henry have been depressed since that day I left, and it's only gotten worse."

"It has not," Dean refuted then cringed. Cas raised his eyebrow again. "If you knew, why didn't you say anything?"

"Why haven't you?" Cas countered.

"I don't want to go out," Dean petulantly said, sitting back. Going outside wasn't going to help him. He had been going outside for the past three days, and it hadn't helped.

"But you need to. Just for a couple of hours. You and Charlie can get Ash drunk and have him do his Godfather impression or his Katie Couric impression."

Dean couldn't stop the smile that crept onto his face. It had been a while since they all went to the _Roadhouse_. It was possible that some alcohol and bad impressions could help cheer him up. But--

"What about Henry?" Dean asked to which Cas rolled his eyes.

"You have two sets of parents, who would be happy to take him," Cas exasperatedly said. "Actually, I'm pretty sure your mom would love to take him since she told me she's baking this weekend, which equates to her baking on Saturday, and you know how much she loves having Henry around." Cas gazed down at Henry. "What do you say, Henry? Do you want to help Nana?"

"That's not fair," Dean griped the second Henry shouted, "Yeah!"

"See," Cas proudly exclaimed. "Problem solved."

"What if I don't want him helping her?" Dean carped just to be difficult.

"Then I'm sure Henry and Sam would love to sit here and hear about that very interesting secret of yours."

"You wouldn't dare?"

Cas unabashedly smirked at him. "Try me." Dean grinned back, heated this time.

"Okay!" Sam loudly exclaimed, jumping up. "How about we get you dressed while these two cool down." He unceremoniously picked Henry up and dashed out of the room.

Dean blushed and didn't meet Cas's eyes until Sam was upstairs. "You should go. Please? For me?"

Dean exaggeratedly sighed. "Fine. I'll go."

"Thank you," Cas cheered. "It'll be good for you. I promise."

"It better be," Dean huffed.

Cas gave that sad, sympathetic look. Dean didn't want his sympathy. He wanted to hold him. He wanted to kiss him. "I'll be home soon. I promise." Dean thickly swallowed and nodded. "I have to go. Try to have some fun, and gave Henry a kiss for me."

"I'll try, and of course, I will," Dean promised and gave him one last smile before going to get ready.

Not too long after, the three of them were at his mother's house. She opened the door without a single greeting, removed Henry from his arms and closed the door in faces.

"She must have already started baking," Sam said.

"Must be," Dean agreed and sauntered back to the Impala. Then they were off to the _Roadhouse_ , and when they got there, everyone was already there with beers in hand, and Ash was doing shots. A strong rush of brotherly love came over him. Dean ambled up to their little group and graciously accepted the beer from Charlie then bumped shoulders with her when he sat down.

"Don't worry," She smiled. "We'll keep you busy until your man comes home."

"I hate you all so much," Dean grouched and drowned his beer as they all guffawed around him. He smiled around his bottle when Ash passed Charlie a shot of whiskey. Ash's impressions were bad, but Charlie's impressions were deplorable.

Dean declined the shot passed to him. It was too earlier in the night to mix drinks. He would gladly sit back and watch his family make fools of themselves, and from the wink Jess sent him, she planned to do the same thing.

~~~✴~~~

When Dean woke up the next day, he was in his bed, and it felt like someone was hammering at his head. He couldn't recall much from last night, but somehow he made it back to his house, unscathed save for his momentous headache. Dean groaned in agony and rolled until he was at the eged of his bed. He threw his feet over the edge and stepped onto something...something coarse, fine and coarse. Dean pried his eyes open to see that he was standing in a sea of red hair. The head of this red sea was covered by his duvet while the top of a brunette was just peeking out from under the covers.

Dean slowly stepped off Charlie's hair, somehow afraid stepping on her hair would wake her up, and quietly tiptoed around them and out the door, closing it behind him. He got two steps ahead before stopping to look into Cas's old room and finding Jess and Sam sprawled on top of each fully clothed, thankfully. Dean had walked in on Sam plenty of times and was lucky enough that he had never walked in on two of them in all the years they have been together.

Dean crept to the room and gently pulled it shut before silently making him way down the stairs, making them creak only three times. Dean rolled his eyes when he got to the bottom of the stairwell and looked in the living room and spotted Ash, passed out on the floor with a spatula in his hand. Dean didn't want to know as long as it made it back to the kitchen. 

He finally got to the kitchen with no sign of Benny. Dean figured he went home at some point during the night. Dean trudged to the coffee maker and put on a pot of coffee then to the island, where he dropped onto the stool and rested his head of the cold surface, praying for some relief from this suffering.

As the cold seeped into his head, the events of yesterday came rushing: Ash finally getting him to take shots with him, Charlie belting 'We are the Champions' on a barstool while Jess and Gilda tried to stop her from falling, Sam trying to stop Jo from killing her husband because he was sneaking liquor from the back, and Benny just laughing at her.

Everything was going great until Jo kicked them for scaring away her patrons, so they found a liquor store and bought as much as they could carry, running back to the car, giggling like teenagers who sneaked out for the first time. They then came to his house where the got drunk in the backyard--well, more drunk. Sam was the only one who got drunk then. Dean remembered being the first to get tired because of his lack of sleep and left them all downstairs. At some point in the night, Charlie and Gilda came to his room and the rest found their current places of dwelling.

"Yes!" Charlie hissed, and Dean's head shot. "Coffee."

"I just put a pot on," he told her before putting his head back down. He heard the stool next to his scrape the floor then a head was resting on his shoulder.

"Remind me never to cheer you up again," she mumbled.

"Remind me never to let you guys cheer me up again," he responded. She groaned, and Dean wasn't about to try and decipher what that was supposed to mean. "What time is it?"

"I don't know," she replied before removing her head then lowering it back onto his shoulder a few seconds later. "It's after two."

Dean shot, dislodging her. "Shit. I need to check on Henry."

"Dude, chill," Charlie said, pushing him back onto the stool. "He with your mom. He's fine. She's probably stuffing him with sugar as we speak."

"That doesn't make me feel better." She set her head on the island and coyly smiled up at him. "What?"

"It's cute how restless you get when they're not within reach."

"I don't get restless," Dean scoffed as he tried to stop his hands from twitching and demanding he pick up the phone and call his mom to make sure Henry was fine and find out what time he should pick him up. There was a part that wanted him to call Cas to make sure nothing happened to him in Seattle and to see if the rain let up.

Charlie folded her arms and rest her head on them. "I'm happy for you." Dean frowned. He knew she was happy for him. She had made a well known fact since the first day he kiss Cas. "I'm happy that you have two people in your life that you love with every fiber in your being that being away from them hurts because they're a part of you. That's how I feel about Gilda. And I'll someday feel the other thing when we have a kid of our own."

The idea of Charlie and Gilda having a kid of their own was something Dean could see happening. They had two different personalities that would just pop out one amazing kid, no matter who he or she was related to genetically. Hopefully, they would have two, one for each of them. Henry sure could use more cousins.

"I'm glad I have them, too. God, Charlie--" he ran his hand through his hair, "--you can't imagine how glad I am on some days. They're more than I could have asked for." Charlie gave him an more affectionate smile, and he could feel one overcoming his face. Henry became the exactly what he pictured his kid begin, the spitting image of him, a great mind, and just damn lovable. And Cas was perfect. He wasn't scared off by Dean's past, and he still wasn't. Everyday Cas made it seemed like loving Dean was the best thing to ever happened to him, and Dean wasn't scared that Cas was going to leave him because whenever Cas said he loved him, he meant it. And Cas more than willing to stick through whatever life threw at them with Dean.

God, he made a knight for him and added it to the other things representing the important things in his life, and they were all of family members. How could Dean not believe Cas wanted to face life with him?

Just then the front door opened and Henry came running into the kitchen. "Daddy!" Dean was out of his seat in seconds, scooping him up and crushing him to his chest.

"Hi, buddy," Dean whispered into his hair, relaxing as one of the loves of his life was safe and real in his arms. Dean breathed in deep, inhaling the scent of pancakes and pineapple. Where Cas was obsessed with vanilla bath products, Henry was obsessed with pineapple bath products. "Did you have fun at Nana's?" asked Dean when they finally pulled apart.

Henry enthusiastically nodded his head. "I maked rice crispy treats."

"You did?" Dean asked in exaggerated surprise.

"Yeah!" Henry proudly answered, chest puffing up a little. Dean grinned, his own pride shining through.

"Why is Ash passed out in the living room?" his mom asked as she walked in the kitchen, his dad following behind with a brown paperbag in his hands.

"What's in the bag?" Dean questioned, motioning to the bag with his head.

"Just some stuff for the casserole I'm making for family dinner," she told him, turning off the coffee maker.

"It's not my turn."

"It isn't?" She innocently said with a thoughtful look on her face. "Well, it doesn't matter," she brushed it off. "Half of the family is already here."

And lo and behold, Sam, Jess and Gilda walked into kitchen, followed shortly by Ash, who was more asleep than awake. His mom then begun dishing out cups of coffee.

"Thanks," Dean said to her when she handed him a cup, knowing she would understand it had little to do with the coffee. She winked and glided off to start on breakfast--for them--as the kitchen divulged into chorus of voices and kitchen utensils that only grew louder the more awake some got, and the more people that arrived: Jo first, who was trying to find her pain-in-the-ass of a husband then Bobby and Ellen and finally Benny and Andrea and the twins.

The kitchen too crowded to the point that his mom kicked them out into the living room, where Henry wanted to watch _Lord of the Rings,_ and Cas was going to kill him if he ever found out that Dean caved. How could Dean say 'no' when Henry was looking at his with those big, pleading eyes of his and when Dean hadn't seen him for so long? He, however, had no excuse when they watched the second one or started watching the third one. They would have watched it in its entirety had they not been called to have dinner.

"Thank god, I'm starving," Dean exaggerated but went over to get Henry's mac 'n cheese first. Ellen and his mom, the two who took over all the cooking, rolled their eyes at him. Dean settled himself and Henry at the island, backs to the kitchen door, because Henry wouldn't eat anything if they went back to the living room and he would keep looking that way. In this position, Dean could attempt to keep Henry somewhat focused.

Dean took a forkful of the chicken casserole and was about to take a bit when someone took his fork. Dean turned his face and his nose got lost on a dense forest of thick, dark vanilla scented hair.

"Cas," he breathed out, pushing his nose deeper into the forest and inhaling deeply.

"Cas!" he heard Henry yell, followed by two clanking forks, and Dean's vanilla scented haven was gone. Dean looked up to see Henry and Cas clutching at each other. They eventually pulled apart, grinning madly at each other.

"I have missed you," Cas lovingly said as he caressed Henry's cheek with the back of his hand. Henry dove back, wrapping his arms tightly around Cas's neck, making Cas laugh.

Dean lost the self-control he had, the part that wanted to give them their space, and he desperately pulled until Cas's back was against his chest. Dean wrapped his arms around the two of them, nose once again buried in Cas's hair. Dean felt every muscle in his body release the tension they had been building up since the day Cas left. He exhaled one big gust that sounded louder on the quiet kitchen. Dean didn't care because his own little world was spinning once again and that much brighter in this moment.

"What are you doing here?" Dean asked when they managed to separate long enough for Cas to turn so that they were facing each other. Henry had both hands on Cas's collar, and Dean was pretty sure Cas wasn't going anywhere for a long time.

"I live here?" Cas slowly suggested, and it felt so wonderful to glare at him in person instead of through a screen. "Anna was complaining about my moping, but what did she expected when she and her husband kept hogging the baby, and my baby was all the way in Lawrence? The nerve of some people." Henry lit up while Dean roared with laughter.

"So you decided to come home?" Dean asked, but Cas wasn't listening; he was busy running his nose up and down Henry's cheek as Henry's fingers tapped on his collarbone. The scene was so reminiscent that Dean didn't bother asking again. He merely kept his arms securely around the two of them.

"Not that we aren't happy to see you--because we are--, but can we have our food now," Charlie said from the doorway they were all crowded around.

"I wasn't aware we were stopping you, or that anyone could stop you to begin with," Dean goaded to which Charlie stuck her tongue out. Next they were all filling the kitchen, and Dean was grateful that they didn't tell him that Cas was here. They simply let Cas surprise him and Henry.

To Dean's great displeasure, Cas left his embrace to sit on Henry's stool as he fed Henry's his mac 'n cheese while Henry kept Cas up-to-date with the latest episode of _Paw Patrol_ he missed. They all chortle when Henry sympathetically patted Cas cheek when he lamented over the fact that he missed the episode. Henry promised they would watch it together when it was on again.

Throughout the evening, Henry constantly stopped mid-sentence and gaze up at Cas to make sure he was really there and listening to what he had to say. Dean found himself sharing similar sentiment. It was exhilarating to know that Cas missed them so much that he left his sister and his newborn niece to come back to him. Sure Dean believed Anna and Jeff wanted to keep their daughter all to themselves, but Cas could convince anyone to let him hold their child. He had witness that plenty of time--when Henry wasn't there, course. So Cas willingly left them to leave them to come home to him and Henry. God, it was...it was so humbling. And Dean planned to continue being worthy of that.

After much hunting and nudging, Dean finally got his family to leave his house so he could be alone of with his little family, or more importantly so he would be alone with Cas. Or so he thought.

"He wouldn't let go," Cas shrugged, or as much as he could with the sleeping toddler in his arms.

Dean sigh in defeat before focusing on the tablet in his hand. He was lounging on their bed, trying to figure out how to rid this village of their Mandragora problem. The bed dipped before Cas's body was lined up with his, head resting on Dean's shoulder.

"You're on level fifteen?" Cas said, surprised.

"I had a lot of free time recently," he said and had his mage use a fire spell on the quickly advancing bipedal root with fangs, claws and shrubbery growing out of it's head. He wanted to say it because he couldn't sleep but stayed his tongue.

"You're on a higher level than Sam," Cas informed him as Dean watched his mage getting shredded to pieces. "And you can't use fire on them."

"But they're plants," Dean loudly protested, making Henry whimper and scrunch up his face.

"Shh," Cas shushed, rubbing a soothing hand down Henry's back. Henry held Cas's t-shirt tighter and burrowed more into Cas, looking more at peace for the first time in days. "They're statutes that take the form of the plant they are named after: Mandrake. My guess is that need to leave and come back, maybe in the morning, and try to find them in their statute from and kill them. Oh, and you might what to get something iron to kill them with."

Dean, not for the first time, gave Cas a raised eyebrow, backed with intrigue and suspicion. "You sure do know a lot about this game," Dean pointed game.

Cas laughed, a little forced. "Well, it's a game based on Mythology and Folklore, and seeing as I teach both, I would damn well hope I know a lot about that game." Cas broadly grinned at him, and his suspicion recreceded. "And are you really going to pay attention to that game while I'm right here, feeling cold and alone?" Cas smiled coquettishly at him. Dean amusingly snorted and placed the tablet down on the nightstand before snaking his arms around the two of them and buried his face in Cas's neck, hearing both Cas and Henry sigh.

Dean inhaled the vanilla scent, kissed Cas's neck, and muttered, "Have I told you how much I've missed you?"

"Every chance you got," Cas airily laughed.

"Well, I did. I missed you so much."

"I missed you," he sighed. "I thought I would've been fine, but I was wrong. I could barely fall asleep, and the sun was coming from the wrong side." Dean cackled, causing Henry to whine in his sleep. It was his turn to rub a soothing hand down his back. Dean kissed the top of his head for good measure.

"I know what you mean," Dean admitted, feeling his eyes getting heavy. "The bed was too big, even with Henry here with me." Cas made a half understanding, half sympathetic sound, and Dean yawned into his neck. The exhaustion he had been accumulating for the past couples of days finally caught up to him.

"We're never doing that again," Cas told him. "And if we do, we're all going together."

Dean grunted his affirmation as Cas eased his body lower, taking Dean with him. Dean couldn't agree more to the statement and what Cas was doing. And with that, he finally drifted off to sleep.

~~~✴~~~

"Dean, are you okay?" Cas worriedly asked. Dean smiled as reassuringly as he could while keeping his eyes on the road. 'Why did it have to rain today?' he found himself wondering as he tried to see through the pouring rain. The weather forecast said it wasn't supposed to rain today, or at least this early in the night.

Dean was taking Cas to this Thai restaurant Andrea told him about that was a county over. Apparently, they had the best Thai food, so Cas was bound to love it, seeing as he adored Thai food. And it would be the perfect for their first date night in weeks. With Cas being away to see his sister and niece, and classes starting back, and Dean busy at the shop, and then taking care of Henry, they hadn't had time for themselves, just the two of them. And this was their perfect opportunity, if they would just get there!

A clanking noise pulled him from his internally confined rage. "No," he loudly bemoaned, horror, rage and disbelief welling up, as the  car slowed down until it came to a stop at the side of the road. "Dammit!" Dean shouted, incensed, and hit the steering wheel.

"Dean?" Cas called out in a concerned voice. Dean ignored him and looked through the glovebox for an umbrella. Luckily, he found one. Dean stormed out of the car and over to the hood, where he stepped back when a puff of hot smoke assaulted his face when he opened the trunk.

"Shit," he swore before going to the trunk to get the anti-freeze he kept there. There were not going to be late for their reservation if he could help it. He slammed the trunk closed when he found an empty bottle.

Dean looked up when he heard his name. He rushed over to the passenger side door. "Cas, you shouldn't be out here," Dean scolded him while covering them both with the umbrella

Cas crossed his tan clad arms and stubbornly set his jaw. "I'm not getting in that car until you tell what's wrong."

"Cas, we're going to be late," Dean whined. They were going to be late regardless. It would take at least two hours for the car to cool down. And it wasn't anyone's fault but his own. He should have been paying attention to temperature gauge. And he was sure there wasn't any water bottle in the car.

"It's fine."

"It's not fine!" Dean roared, making Cas flinch.

Cas quickly composed himself while Dean was silently cursing himself. "Dean," he softly said and stood closer. Dean rested his head on his shoulder, and Cas took the umbrella from him. Dean pulled Cas flushed against him.

"It was supposed to be perfect," he mumbled.

"What was?" Cas said, rubbing a hand over Dean back. Something Dean didn't think he deserved right now. Everything was his fault.

"Everything," Dean answered.

"Dean," Cas complained. Dean removed his arms from around Cas and opened his trench coat before wrapping his arms back around him. He even had Cas wear a dress shirt and slacks. "Dean."

"Can't we just forget I said anything?" Dean meekly asked.

"No, we can't," he brusquely said, "because you've been anxious for the past two days, and I have politely left you alone, hoping you'll tell me what's wrong but not anymore. Now please tell me what's wrong because I haven't seen you this upset since that guy made a pass at Jess."

That guy needed to keep his hands to himself, and he would have broken it had Benny not stopped him. "He had it coming."

"Dean..."

Dean flung himself off Cas, facing away from him, in the pour rain. Why did Cas have to be so stubborn sometimes? ' _Isn't that why you liked him?_ ' a traitorous part of his mind whispered as the umbrella covered him. A hand perched on his shoulder, and Dean's resolve crumbled.

"I was going ask you to marry me!" Dean distressingly shouted to the empty road.

A beat of silence rung out before a soft 'oh' followed. 

Dean whirled around in horror and disbelief, his heart crashing down. "'Oh?' That's all you have to say?!"

"Well, yeah," Cas shrugged with a shy smile, baffling Dean. "What did you expect?"

Dean's knee almost gave out whilst his heart did. "I-I expected you to say something... something more than just 'Oh!'" Christ, he expected so much more. But how...how could Cas do this to him? He trusted--

"Well, you're asking for the answer to a question you have yet to ask."

Everything went quiet save for the rain hitting the paved road and the car passing by.

"Jesus Christ, Cas. That wasn't funny!" Dean glared as the sound of everything else came rushing back: his haggard breathing, his rapidly beating heart, the mud squelching between his shoes as his sank a little lower to the ground. He loved when Cas teased him, but not right now.

 

"Sorry," Cas apologized, looking a little bit contrite. Cas then got so heartbreakingly eager. And somehow Dean's feet worked enough for him to close the distance between them.

"I have been thinking about this for a while now," he said as he looked into Cas's eye, their noses inches apart. "Ever since Kansas allowed it and even moreso when Charlie and Gilda went to City Hall last week and got their marriage license. And a lot of people would say we're rushing things, but we promised we'll do things our way--" Cas nodded, eyes intense, "--and we've kinda being doing things differently since the beginning, so why should this be any different? I mean, I asked you to move in days after I met you." Dean chuckled, which Cas mimicked.

"In all my past relationships," Dean went on, "I have always let the person I'm with decided where our relationship would go--" the hands on his hip clenched, "--, and I have just accepted that, but this relationship is different. We've decided things together. And we're doing that right now. Just I'm being selfish for once and asking for something this time." Dean cupped Cas's cheek with one hand, stroking his face with his thumb. "I'm asking that Henry not be the only one you'll promise to always come back to." Cas's breathing hitched. "I'm asking you to let me follow you. I'm asking you to let me take care of you. I'm asking you to let me love you till my last breath." A tear slipped down Cas's cheek, which Dean quickly brushed away.

Dean kneeled down and pulled out the velvet box he hid in his jacket two days ago. He opened the box and presented it to Cas. "Marry me?"

"God, yes," Cas said in exaggeration and held out his left hand. Dean took the silver band out with a gigantic grin on his face and slipped it onto Cas's ring finger, kissing it before letting go.

The second he was on his feet, Cas propelled forward with a ringing laugh filled with so much euphoria and joy, almost knocking Dean over, his own euphoric laugh joining on.

Dean twirled them around, uncaring that Cas had let go of the umbrella, or that the were getting soaked. Cas said 'yes.' Soon, Cas would be his in every sense of the world. And Dean could less about anything else right.

~~~✴~~~

Cas was lying on the back seat of the Impala with a naked Dean on top of him, feeling more sated that he had ever felt. He guessed he felt that way in part to the silver band he was staring up at. He could feel his giddiness rising up his chest again, the very same feeling he had when Dean shouted that he wanted to marry him. Cas knew that they would have ended up here but thought they would have waited a little longer, at least until after their one year mark. But Cas was so glad to be wrong.

"I'm sorry it's so plain," Dean apologized to his chest.

"No,"Cas shook head, "it's perfect." It practically shined in the low light and shined brighter whenever someone's headlight shone through the foggy windows, giving it a warm, golden background. Cas was in love with it. "You could have given me a toy ring, and I would have been over the moon."

Dean gruffly chuckled and went back to just laying on him while Cas returned to admiring his ring.

Dean then shot up. "You can't tell Henry."

What.

"What?" Cas frowned thunderously at him.

"I want it to be a surprise," Dean rushed out.

"For his birthday," Cas said, understanding drawing on his hand. "Can I tell anyone?" Dean gave him sympathetic look. "This sucks."

"I want Henry to the be the first one we tell," Dean reasoned with him, kissing his chest as an apology. "And I know you want that, too."

Dean was right. He wanted to go home home right and tell him, but he had to admit Dean's idea was a really good one. Henry would be so thrilled to hear about their big announcement. Or Cas was hoping Henry would be thrilled by this.

"It's only for two more day," Dean reminded him to lessen disappointment.

Which was why, two day later, Cas was about to burst, or at least demand Henry's class go home, so Dean and he could get Henry to sit still long enough for them to tell him. But Cas couldn't be selfish. He let Henry and his classmates run around the house while the adults tried to keep order. It was his special day. And Cas busied himself with watching Dean and the McLarens interact.

Today was also the day Dean met Eddie's parents, something Cas didn't know before. It was hilarious watching the three of them try to interact for the good of the budding friendship between their kids. It was side stitching to watch Dean perk up when Eddie's dad, David, mentioned football but completely crumbled when he meant soccer. And his wife, Abby, stayed until they started talking about car before running after the kids, which was a shame because Dean and she had a similar love for Mexican food.

When it came time for Cake, Henry had one bite of the chocolate cake Cas slaved over before demanding he open his presents now. Cas and Dean were able to convince him to wait until everyone finished their cake before opening presents. Present time was a flurry of ripping paper, squeals and thank yous. Cas stood proudly when Henry declared the toy sword he got as the best present every. He did, however, hope their other present would be even better.

Cas almost jumped for joy when the last kid left with his parents. Dean caught his eyes and winked. It was time.

"Henry, can you come to the kitchen," Dean shouted, coming the stand next to Cas in the middle of the kitchen. "We have one last present." Everyone, except for John, Bobby and Jo, were in the kitchen, helping to clean up. They paused while cleaning to frown at the two of them.

Henry came zooming into the kitchen, sword in hand, and the others moving at a slower pace. "Another one?" he asked bouncing on the soles of his feet. Of Cas didn't know better, he would have guessed Henry was expecting another sword. Or a pony. Knowing his family, one of them only needed to hear one word of that, and Henry would find himself with a pony the next day. God, marrying Dean would only give them more ammunition to buy Henry whatever he wanted, especially Lucifer, who, as Cas was now aware of, had come to like Henry a lot, and it didn't matter that they hadn't said a word to each other as yet.

"Yep." Dean smiled at him while Cas unhooked the silver chain around his neck. He pulled the chain from out under his shirt to hear an ensemble of gasps. Cas released one end of the chain and let the ring slip off onto this palm.

"No way," Charlie disbelievingly said, and a few people shushed her.

Cas shook his head, amused as he slipped the ring on his ring finger. Someone was sniveling. Or more that one, Cas wasn't sure. He was too busy looking at the confused child in front of him, who was eyeing the ring on Cas finger.

Dean kneeled down, and Cas followed his lead. "Hey, buddy, you remember that talk we had when Aunty Charlie and Aunty Gilda got married. Henry studiously nodded, still confused, though. "And do remember why I told you people get married?"

"'Cus they love each other," Henry dutifully answered, preening.

"And?" Cas promoted.

Henry was pensive for a moment before exclaiming, "Family."

"Right," Dean praised. "They get married because the love each other, and because they want to have a family together or include someone else in their family." Dean glanced at him and smiled. Cas smiled back. "Aunty Charlie and Aunty Gilda got married because the love each other and want to have a family together. Cas and I are getting married--" a few sharp intake of breath, "--because we love each other, and I want him to be a part of our family."

"Cas is family." Henry frowned. And they all chortle.

"He is," Dean agreed, "but most people don't know that. Getting married will show people that we really love each other and have a family together." Henry seemed to mull it over for a few minutes, and Cas happily waited. Henry face then lit up, and he was suddenly very close to Cas, hands on Cas's knees.

"You're 'daddy' now?" Henry asked, looking so hopeful. And Cas felt his heart swell to the point that it was painful and threatened to burst.

"Almost," Cas told him, "we need to have a wedding first then I'll be 'daddy,' but you can still call me 'Cas.'"

Henry emphatically shook his head. "Daddy--" he rested a palm on Dean's chest, " _Papa_ ," he finished with the other on Cas's chest. And Henry could probably feel how his heart skipped a beat. Cas's eyes welled up, and his throat got tight. "Okay?"

"Yeah." Cas thickly said and sniffed along with a few others. Cas them pulled him in a tight hug, one hand finding the back of Henry's head as he stood up. Cas buried his nose in his pineapple scented hair and held him that much more tighter, feeling lighter than before and that much more elated.

Henry finally pushed back to beam at him. " _Papa,_ " he said, like he wanted to get used to the words as soon as possible. Henry could practice as much as he wanted. Cas wasn't about to stop him.

"Why doesn't that sound entirely English?" Dean said, and Cas looked over to see him frowning.

"It's the French word for 'dad' or 'daddy,'" Cas said with his own frown, confused.

"You're teaching him French?!" Dean said, shocked.

"You said I could," Cas defended.

"I didn't think you would start right away, maybe when he was a little older," Dean said, and inadvertently cementing his earlier statement to Cas that he was thinking about marriage for a while, even if he wasn't fully aware of it yet since Cas asked him about teaching Henry French in October.

"He's at a perfect age to learn a second language," Cas continued to defend his decision. "Right, Henry?"

" _Oui_." (Yes).

Dean stared back, slack jawed as the rest of them burst out laughing. "You cheeky little thing, you," Dean said before leaning forward to mercilessly tickle Henry.

"Daddy, _arrête_!(Stop!)," Henry laughed, pushing Dean's hands away.

Dean retracted his hand. "You little," he said before resuming his attack on Henry's sides. "How come I'm just now finding out about this?" Dean asked when they calmed down.

"Well, he practices with me during the day," Cas told him. "And oh, with Missouri at school. Just whenever she sees him."

"Now, why doesn't that surprise me?" Dean sarcastically droned.

"Now that you know," Cas slowly said, "does this mean I can teach him Mandarin as well." Dean gave him an unimpressed look. "Actually," Cas smirked, "I technically don't have to ask you." Cas wiggled the fingers of his left hand, one more than the others. "This gives me the right to."

Dean rolled his eyes, but there was a smiled on his face, and the room erupted in laughter before everyone descended on their little family to offer their congratulations.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since this is Fiction and this world is filled with rainbows and butterflies, America has finally gotten its shit together and made gay marriage the law of the land. Yay for Dean and Cas and Charlie and Gilda! 
> 
> Oh, And Henry's birthday is on February 7th (for if you forgot or I never mentioned it, my bad). 
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	16. Convergence

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Wedding.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's finally here guys. The end.
> 
> Hope you enjoy.

Cas greatly regretted being excited about wanting to tell people about his engagement to Dean.

"Anna, we are not releasing doves at my wedding," Cas sternly told his sister over the phone as he walked into the kitchen. Dean, who was spooning cereal into his mouth, paused, spoon inches from his mouth, and raised an eyebrow, confusion with slight horror shining in his eyes.

Henry, who was sitting opposite him with his own bowl of cereal, lit up at the prospect of having doves but deflated and poutingly continued eating his cereal. Cas was instantly contrite, but knew if he didn't put his foot down, things would escalate quickly. Perfection is something Anna strived for when she set her mind on something, but that something wouldn't be his wedding.

" _But_ \--" Anna began to argue, but he swiftly cut interrupted what was sure to be a lengthy plead.

"No, Anna," Cas curtly said. "No birds. No animals period. Wait--" he removed the phone from his ear, "--do you want any animals at our wedding?" Dean didn't bother hiding his horror, or he couldn't. "Yeah," Cas said once the phone was against his ear, "that's a 'no' on the animals."

" _We_ \--"

"Anna, we haven't even set a date yet," he tiredly reminded her, pinching the bridge of his nose as Dean put a comforting arm around his waist. "Can we hold off on making any plans until then?"

She gave a defeated sigh. " _Fine_ ," she reluctantly relented.

"Great! We'll set a date, and I'll tell you. Love you. Bye," Cas said in one go, ending the call before she could get a word in. Dean was staring at him in a amused and slightly surprised manner. "Don't give me that look," he petulantly groused. "Don't think for one second she wouldn't stay on the phone until we pick a date."

Dean threw his head back and jovially laughed. "Then how about we end her suffering and pick a date then," Dean jokingly said, though Cas knew he was half-serious. There was something sympathetic about the way Dean's thumbs stroked his hipbone. Cas wasn't the only one dealing with impatient relatives, who wanted to know if they set a date yet, Mary being the most insistent. Cas could hardly blame her. Her eldest child was finally getting married.

Cas benignly smiled at him. "Sure," he said. "Spring or summer?" So far they had decided they wanted to get married outside, partly because neither wanted to get married in a church, and partly because they didn't want a big wedding--just something small and intimate with family and friends.

"Summer?" Dean cautiously offered. And Cas readily nodded. It was ideal, really. It was right after classes ended, saving him the trouble of planning a wedding and focusing on grading and school.

"When during the summer? Early super, mid summer or late summer? Cas asked while fondly smiling at Henry, who had finished eating his cereal and regaling his panda bear with a tale of going on a adventure to destroy a golden ring. Cas didn't even bat an eyelash at that. He expected Dean to cave and let Henry watch _Lord of the Rings_.

"July." Dean's voice pulled him back from his reverie. Cas promptly pulled up the calendar on his phone.

"It's should be a weekend," Cas absentmindedly said as Dean peered over to get a better look at his phone.

"How about the twentieth?"

"Perfect," Cas exclaimed. It was on a Sunday, and since it was still February, their guests had plenty of tine to clear their schedules. "What do you think, Henry?" Cas asked. "Should we have your wedding on July?"

Henry looked up enough to give a brisk nod before resuming his chat with Thomas the panda. Dean gruffly chuckled next to him. Henry could care less about the wedding right now. He could now call Cas 'dad'--well, ' _papa_ '--, and that was all he was concerned with. Cas couldn't stop the warmth that coursed through him. Henry had seamlessly switched from calling him 'Cas' to calling him ' _papa_ ' that Cas wondered if Henry had always subconsciously referred to him as such, and he was simply waiting for permission to do so out loud. Cas was elated for him if that was the case and elated for himself every time Henry called him ' _papa_.'

"Now that that's decided," Cas abruptly announced, turning to a stunned Dean. "We can decided whom we want designing out wedding invitation. You're mother already gave me the number to two different places."

"Of course, she did," Dean derisively said, rolling his eyes.

Cas merely held the phone out and stared expectantly at him.

But it wasn't until a week later that they finally decided on invitation. It was a black and white card. The front was cut diagonally across making four triangular flaps that had a rose on each flap with leaves and vines in a swirling lace pattern cut into the paper. Each flap opened to show a white background with raised letters written in elegant cursive.

Dean was the one who decided on the raised letters.

And that decision lead to the flurry of wedding-esque obligations or do-s.

~~~✴~~~

Unsurprisingly enough, Dean and Cas had decided on having the wedding in the backyard. It was spacious enough to fit the number of pepler they were inviting, which surprisingly wasn't that many people. When Cas and he said they wanted it to be a small wedding, they weren't kidding. They did, however, decided to book a small hall for the after party and cake cutting.

The aforementioned activity could only be accomplished if they had a cake, which was why Dean, his mom, Cas, Ellen, and Sam were in a quaint little shop tasting cake. Their first wedding obligation, so to speak.

Sam was mostly here because he was the best man, and Dean just wanted to torture him.

"The coconut is a big, fat 'no'" Dean exclaimed, setting the plate down and getting his bottle of water to wash horrid taste of his tongue.

"Agreed," Cas said, setting down his plate, not looking nearly as disgusted as Dean was. Sam, however, was and looked relieved that Dean shared his sentiment.

"It's okay," Ellen stated while rolling her tongue around in her mouth as his mother still continued to mull over the taste.

"How about we try the mocha next?" The dark skinned woman--Ally, their assistant--helpfully suggested.

"No!" Dean suddenly shouted, startling her. He winched before apologizing. "Sorry, but Cas doesn't like coffee flavored things." Cas prettily flushed. She gave them an understanding look.

"How about something strawberry or raspberry since the wedding it rose themed?" Cas suggested.

Two bites later, and no-one was satisfied, and Dean feet were getting tired. Judging by how Cas leaned into him, so were his feet.

"The chocolate one was really good," Sam said a little desperately.

"Yeah, but it was too..."

"Too chocolatey," Cas easily finished for him.

"The vanilla?" his mom offered up.

"Too..."

"Plain," Dean finished for him this time.

"How about we try lemon?" Ally calmly said. Dean had to commend her patience. They were hardly an easy bunch to appease.

Cas perked up as Dean knew he would. "Please."

Dean's eyebrows rose up when he found he quiet enjoyed the taste. It wasn't too sweet or overwhelming. He looked over to Cas and felt his stomach sink a little. Cas had a deep pensive look on his face, not showing any joy at being presented his favorite flavor.

Cas then sharply looked up. "You liked the vanilla, right?" Dean slowly nodded, not seeing where this was going. "Then how about this--" he held his plate higher, "--as the filling."

Dean's eyebrows met his hair line. It was so obvious a solution that Dean wondered why they hadn't though about that in the first place. It would have saved them all this trouble.

"Perfect," Dean said.

"Excellent choice," Ally happily interposed. Maybe she wasn't as patient as he thought. "Follow me, and we'll write up your order."

While following her, Dean mused, "Maybe we should try the butterscotch one again."

"Screw you, Dean," Sam mildly grumbled from behind him, causing them all to uproariously laugh.

~~~✴~~~

 Next order of business was music.

"You play the harp?" Dean near shrieked.

"Yeah," Cas self-consciously said, hands on the button of his jeans, halfway from unbuttoning it.

"Why?"

Cas indignantly bristled. "When I was little Gabriel tricked me into believing I was a real angel, and angels played the harp. So my dad bought me one, and I learned how to play it." Cas irritatedly finished unbuttoning his pants and quickly got out of them. He glared at a now shamefaced Dean. "Can we have a harpist or not?"

Dean swiftly glided over to him and wrapped his arms around his waist, kissing his cheeks, lips and neck. "If you can find one, then sure, we can have a harp at the wedding."

"And Ash wants to be the DJ for the reception hall," Cas said, mollified.

"We're not paying him," Dean blankly said.

"He said it would count as your wedding present," Cas told him, tickled.

Dean mightily scowled at him, but it was answer enough.

Ash would the DJ.

~~~✴~~~

"Anna, my wedding is going to be in my backyard. Why would I need a horse and carriage to take me to the alter?" Cas said slowly and quite emphatically.

Anna was lucky she was thousands of miles away since Dean strongly believed Cas would have strangled her. It seemed the closer it got to the wedding the more agitated Cas got. He had double checked everything at least four times already from the florist to the caterers to making sure the hall was still available to them even though they had already paid.

Dean was mellow about the entire thing, possibly because having them both panicked would solve nothing. Or he was so convinced that if anything does happen they would get it fixed because they were too stubborn to not get married at the set date. So Dean would causally lean back against their headboard, slay this Scylla, and wait for when he needed to use his hands and mouth to calm Cas down.

"I'm not letting you spend money on a carriage that's just going to take me around the block, Anna." The back of Cas's head hit the headboard as he groaned in exasperation. Dean absentmindedly made a sympathetic noise as he watched one of the six heads he hacked off not-too-long ago grow back with a raised eyebrow.

"Anna," Cas heatedly warned. "No." A beat of silence followed. "No." Another beat of silence. "There is no way in hell I'm coming down the aisle on horseback. Or Dean for that matter."

Dean's finger paused, an inch away from the screen. The idea of seeing Cas coming down the aisle on a horse did have some appeal. Dean resumed his assault on the menace that was gnawing on his mage, letting the brother and sister finish their heated discussion, if one could call it that.

After an abrupt goodbye, Cas unceremoniously threw his phone on the nightstand before flinging himself onto Dean, arms coming tightly around Dean's waist.

"Do you--"

"Just hold me," Cas wailingly begged.

And just like that the issue surrounding transportation was dealt with. Their guest knew where they lived--no worries there.

~~~✴~~~

"We need to talk," Cas breathlessly said.

"Now?" Dean incredulously whined, taking his mouth off of Cas neck and hoisting him higher up the wall.

"I might forget later on," Cas blatantly protested, squirming and subsequently rubbing their aching, clothed erections together. Their hisses permeated the empty upstairs hallway.

"Make it quick," Dean gritted out through clenched teeth. All he wanted was to bury himself in Cas until neither of them could think straight.

"You know how we have red and white roses for the wedding--"

"Cas."

"One of us needs to wear a red shirt under their tux, and I think it should be you," Cas rapidly shot out.

"I need to buy a new red shirt," Dean sounded out, a little dazed.

"You need to buy a new red shirt," Cas echoed, sympathy marring his face. "You can fuck me now."

Dean's forehead impacted with Cas's shoulder as his groan drowned out everything else.

Their outfits were decided.

~~~✴~~~

It wasn't until little over a month until the wedding that the rings came up. Actually it never came up. It was only when Michael showed up at their doorstep, briefcase in one hand and a large velvet box, that Cas and he realized that they hadn't thought about wedding bands. Okay, that wasn't a correct statement since Cas obviously thought about it--the glaring black box was proof of that. It was Dean who hadn't thought about it. Sure, he already gave Cas a ring but that was an engagement ring, and very little thought went into that ring.

The rings exchanged on their wedding day were meant to be eternal, and Dean could have Cas staring at a plain ring for the rest of his life.

"Michael, you're just on time," Cas joyously greeted, snapping Dean out of his panicked haze.

"Hello, Bluebird," he warmly said back, and Dean watched as his stony exterior crumble.

"It that...?" Cas trailed off, his disbelief evident.

"He delivered it not too long ago," Michael confirmed, smiling with a twinkle in his eye.

"Who did?" Dean found himself defensively asking. Though he didn't know why. He did know why. Micheal and he still weren't on amicable terms, or any terms, really. They were merely polite for Cas's sake.

Cas reverently took the box from Michael, a little cautiously as well, like he was afraid he might drop it and the box would shatter to a millions pieces. Or it might fall, and its contents would come spilling--rolling--out.

"Our family jeweler," he distractedly said, staring lovingly at the box.

"You have a family jeweler?" Dean inquired, coming out squeakier than expected, garnering Cas's attention.

"He;s more of a friend of my dad's, but we have been buying our jewelry from him for years. He's the one responsible for my Christmas ornaments. I'll be back." Cas then ran up the stairs before Dean could even process what he heard.

Minutes later, Cas came into the kitchen, where Michael and he were awkwardly trying to make small talk, with a overly satisfied look on his face. Dean was tempted to run upstairs and tear their room apart until he found what Cas was hiding.

"Sam should be here any second now," Cas said, schooling his features and seating himself next to Dean and across from Michael the very second the front door open, and his brother came sauntering into the kitchen.

Michael promptly opened his briefcase and pulled out the paperwork and forms they needed to sign, so that they could be filed at a later date--immediately after the wedding or before if some needed to be mailed to the correct places.

But before they could look at the paper, Sam handed Cas the forms he was most excited about: the adoption paper, or the paper that stated that Cas would legally be considered Henry's other parent. While Cas carefully filled those out, Dean busied himself by scanning some of the documents Michael brought with him.

Dean balked at the paper in front of him just as Cas was finishing up with the one in his hand.

"Is something the matter?" Michael asked, and Dean could hear the frown in his voice, but his eyes were glued to the paper in front of him.

"Dean." Cas's concerned voice filtered into his subconscious, pulling him out of his stupor.

Dean held out the damning evidence. "You created Dark Ages?!" Dean accusingly shrieked. Cas flinched back and would have almost fell off the stool had Dean not grab onto him. Cas mildly glared at him, and he guiltily smiled at him. "You created Dark ages?" Dean asked, more subdued this time.

"I'm one of the creators," Cas unassumingly said.

"He's being modest. He practically orchestrated the whole thing," Michael unashamedly informed, but quickly shut up when Cas sent him a menacing glare.

"You have been helping me all this time," Dean said, comprehension dawning on him.

"He's been what?" It was Dean's turn to glare menacingly at his own brother, effectively silencing him.

Dean glanced back at Cas. All those times he had questioned Cas's knowledge of the games came rushing back to him. All the hollow and beguiling excuses came with them, coupling and painting a picture of all the times they have sat in bed together, playing that game.

"How then why," Dean demanded, clipped.

"I told you I have a degree in computer science," Cas expectantly said, and Dean nodded, signaling that he should continued. "Well, I had this crazy idea that to combine both of my degrees to make a game, so I convinced some people to get one board with the idea. Soon after we created _Dark Ages_. We never expected it to get this big. We only meant for it to be a way to make some extra money to get through grad school."

"As for the 'why'--" Cas turn to scowl at his brother, "--it was supposed to be surprise."

"A surprise?" Dean said, confusion coloring his voice.

Cas turned his attention back to him and continued, "At level twenty there's this half-fallen angel, half-dark elf hybrid that you have to fight. It's basically a version of me programmed into the game. The surprise was that I was going to have it tell you your reward for if you win and your payment for if you lose."

Dean was only on level eighteen.

"Which are?" Dean impatiently asked when Cas stopped talking. Cas blushed furiously. Dean awkwardly coughed, neither meeting the others eyes or glancing up at their brothers. It was that kind of reward and punishment.

Cas, being the first to work up the courage, broke the embarrassing silence. "I would have told you earlier, but then you started playing the game."

"No matter how much he bitched and moaned about," Sam sneered.

"Shut up, bitch," Dean sniped.

"Make me, jerk," Sam smirked.

"Don't even bother, Michael," Cas said and wryly shook his head at them.

"Wait," Sam suddenly said, sitting ramrod straight. "This would mean that you're rich." Cas gave him a shy smile. Sam then looked at him with wide accusing eyes. "You knew?"

"Of course, I knew that," Dean snippily said.

Cas had caved on Christmas day. He told Dean about this inheriting money from his father, which was apparently old money that had been passed down and which continued to grow because of some investments his family still owned. Dean also learned that Cas barely touched that money because he didn't want any of it, but his father insisted he take if for if he ever did need it. Evidently, Cas's father had been throwing his money at Cas since he was born and then continued to throw it at him after they reconciled because he didn't know how to go about interacting with Cas at first.

Creating the app would go hand in hand with Cas's desire to avoid using that money, having his own means to pay for college. After learning about that aspect of Cas's past, Dean became aware of how Cas used his teacher's salary to pay for his expenses, avoiding using that money as much as possible. Cas only used it this time because he desperately wanted to get the record for him.

"And not a word of this to anyone else," Cas unsmilingly said. "I have a surprise planned for them." Sam readily agreed.

"Now that that's taken care of," Michael airily said. "We can finish with the paperwork."

The kitchen fell into an amiable silence until it was time for Michael to leave. The fact that Michael could leisurely go from Pontiac to Lawrence and back in the same day was indicative of how well off they were--private jet and all.

"I almost forgot," Michael suddenly said. "Mr. Sykes told to pass on his congratulations, and he hoped the ring is to your liking."

"It is," Cas told him with a bashful smile. "I'll be sure to call him tonight to thank him." And with that, Cas was off, showing Michael out.

Dean spun his head to look at his brother at an alarmingly fast rate, surprising him. "We need to get to a fucking jewelry store," Dean urgently told him. "I completely forgot about the wedding band."

The rings were crossed off the list.

~~~✴~~~

It was finally time for the out of town guest to arrive for the wedding, or namely--his siblings, and Cas was over the moon. He was getting married, and all of his siblings were actually speaking to each other. And Cas was immensely grateful they yelled at each other before they arrived in Lawrence.

And while they weren't at each other's throat, there was another pressing matter to attend to--perhaps one of the big biggest wedding obligation or wedding do-s. And that was to make sure one's relatives behave accordingly.

"I swear to whatever deity governs this universe, if one of you so much as promises to buy Henry anything, I will end you," Cas succinctly vowed.

And as if the show that said deity was laughing at him and as to provide insurmountable proof that the universe hated him, Gabriel opened his mouth.

"What if we already bought him something?"

And as if to further cement the two aforementioned convictions, Henry came barging into the living room, ecstatically shouting, "Uncle Gabe, what'd you get me?!"

Then again asking one's relatives to behave at a wedding was asking for too much.

~~~✴~~~

Whoever came up with the rule that a bride and groom should not see each other before the wedding was a sadistic bastard, who had taken the form of his sister.

"I'm sorry I'm not their to read you your bedtime story, baby," Cas apologize, downcast.

" _It's okay_ ," his little prince sweetly said and yawned. Cas was about to comment on what a kind little pince he was being when his bedroom door slammed open. Okay, this wasn't his room. It was Dean's old room that Mary had magnanimously allowed him to stay in till the wedding.

"Bluebird, what are you doing?" she shrieked.

"I'm saying goodnight to my son," Cas slowly said, looking at her as if she had lost her mind. He did, however, smile when he heard Henry sleepily giggle. He had signed the papers. Henry was legally his and Dean's son. That only was enough to make him go all bubbly inside as he became as light as air, rising about Anna's disapproving stare.

"You're not allowed to see Dean," she forcefully reminded him.

Cas rolled his eyes in exasperation. "I know that," he grumbled. "Which is why Henry's using Gabriel's computer, not Dean's." Cas set his sight on the computer. "I have to go, sweety," Cas tenderly told him. "I'll see tomorrow. I love you."

" _I love you, too_ ," Henry drowsily said, eyes drooping.

Cas ended the call and faced his mutinous sister. He mockingly held out his computer. "Here take it. This way you'll be sure Dean and I don't spend the entire night gazing into each others while accumulating all this bad luck that will block out the sun."

Anna discourteously snatched the laptop and promptly shut the door behind her.

Sadistic, that was what she was.

~~~✴~~~

Today was the day Cas finally got. And for the first time since Dean proposed, he was strangely at peace, a stark contrast to stressed bag of nerves he was. Oddly enough, he had also slept well despite Dean being no where near him. Possibly, his subconscious figured being in Dean's old room was good enough, or every cell in his body knew they need to be rested for today. Cas could care less. He was well rested, and more importantly, he was ready to marry Dean. The spring in his step when he went down for breakfast proved that.

"Well, aren't you chipper today," Anna amusingly drawled as she handed him a cup of tea and his breakfast, consisting of eggs, four slices of toast and about some slices of bacon.

He graciously accepted both items and seated himself at the island next to John, who was reading the newspaper. There was possibly another reason why he was so calm. He had Anna with him, and he knew without a doubt she would see to it that everything went smoothly. He also knew he owed her an apology for being so difficult to deal with for the past few months.

"Hey, Anna," Cas started.

"Yeah?" She looked up from her breakfast to stare questionably at him.

"I'm sorry--"

"That I've been a right ass?" she teasingly finished.

"Yeah," he indulgently smiled at her.

"It's okay," she flippantly said. "You seem to be forgetting what a bitch I was when it was my wedding." Jeff cringed enough for they both of them.

"Where's Mary?" Cas found himself asking as time dragged on with no sign of her.

"She's over at Dean's," John distractedly told him, eye still scanning the paper in his hand. "To help with Henry and stuff."

' _All the luck to her_ ,' Cal amusingly thought. Henry was more of a challenge on Sundays, choosing to either move about at a more lethargic stay or to zoom from one room to the next.

Soon Cas was hacking around the bacon in his bacon in his mouth. Ignoring the strong pats to his back, Cas stared in front of him with horror filled eyes and distressingly howled, "I forgot my cufflinks!"

~~~✴~~~

Dean eyes shot opened, and he was on his feet at a remarkably fast rate. One swift last on his clock told him it was after eight. He overslept! The wedding was in four hours, and he managed to oversleep. Frantically, he rushed to his door, yanking it open just as a dark haired woman sped past his door.

"I'll get him," Kali shot over her shoulder, going into Henry's room just as he zipped past her, laughing merrily. Henry nimbly dodged Dean's reaching hands and ran to the stairs.

' _It was one of those Sunday_ ,' Dean dryly mused, running after his son, who was attempting to get downstairs, all-the-while thinking that Cas would have his hide if Henry got hurt. And Dean thought he was an overprotective father. Dean briskly scooped up his huffing son and helped him complete his journey to the kitchen, where someone was puttering around, clinking spoons and dishes together. When he got there, Gabriel was stuffing his face full of pancakes, gazing up his mom with a look of awe as she filled his plate with a few more.

"You're mom makes great pancakes," Gabriel said through a mouthful when he saw the two of them. "Not as good as Cassie's..." he trailed off, flushing with embarrassment. Out of the corner of his eye, Henry was mutinously scowling. No-one called his ' _papa_ ' 'Cassie.'

"It's okay, dear," She kindly said. "I've heard it before." She sent a playful look Henry's way, and he cutely flushed. She did, however, slide a stack of pancakes across the island, which Henry hungrily gobbled up the second he was seated.

Dean fidgetingly ate his breakfast, no amount of comforting hands on his shoulder or understanding look could calm him down. It was just his luck to panic mere hours before one of the most important day of his life. So many things could go wrong. He could spill something on his tux. Cas could spill something on his tux. Henry might not want to wear his tux. Henry could spill something on his tux! What if there was traffic, and Cas was delayed, turning a ten minutes drive in hours of waiting?

What if Cas changed his mind, thinking they were rushing thing?

His hysteria cranked up a notch as he stood there staring at the top of his wooden chest. Innocuously sitting there, shimmering under the florescent lights, were Cas's silver cufflinks. There were two wing cufflinks that curved inward to circle around two tiny, ruby spheres. An identical pair was not too far away, with pearl spheres instead.

Dean found himself standing in doorway to the kitchen again, haggardly breathing.

"Cas forgot his cufflinks!"

~~~✴~~~

"Thank you," Cas fervently thanked Sam, trying not to sag in relief, as he took the cufflinks from him, not even bothering to invite him into his own mother's house. Cas was too busy desperately trying to get a cufflink through his sleeve. The other cufflink was plucked out of his hand. Cas gave Sam as grateful smile, which Sam returned before intently focusing on getting the other cufflink on.

Soon, they were finished, and Cas studiously inspected his sleeves and was pleased with what he found before asking, "How is he doing?"

Sam sighed in exasperation and exhaustion before wanly smiling at him. "We finally convinced him not to drag Michael here and have the wedding in mom's kitchen."

Cas threw his head back and bellowed with laughter. He could almost imagine that conversation, and all the eyes rolling and exasperated fondness that came with it.

"Phone," Cas brusquely commanded, smile in face. Sam huffed liked he wanted to laugh but couldn't muster the strength and gave Cas his phone.

" _This better be important, Sam_ ," was Dean's clipped greeting.

"It is," was Cas's amused response.

" _Cas_ ," Dean choked out.

"I fully expect a devilishly handsome man to be waiting at the start of the aisle, ready to walk me down it, okay?" Cas succinctly said.

" _Okay_ ," Dean said, and Cas could hear the smile in his voice.

"Almost there."

"Almost there."

~~~✴~~~

Just as Dean expected, his breathing hitched the moment he laid eyes on Cas. Cas was dressed in his bespoke tuxedo that conformed to the contours of his body. Dean hoped his did the same, if the heated look in Cas's eyes were anything to go by. Where he had a vibrant red dress shirt on, Cas had on a too bright white one. The two of them had matching, skinny black ties that were tuck into matching black vest with beaded, swirling vine patterns sewn into them. Cas's hair was messily tousled while his was neatly combed to the side.

Dean's mouth went dry when Cas's eyes hungrily scanned his body. Dean soon heated up, and it wasn't because of the sultry weather. Dean swallowed thickly when those deep midnight eyes found his forest green ones again, but he found his voice.

"I was supposed to be waiting for you."

Cas blinked once before throwing his head back, letting out a reverberating laugh that resonated within Dean. Cas then shrugged with a half-smile and coyly said, "I couldn't wait any longer."

Dean had to grin at his slightly painted cheeks because they were both hopeless. He closed the distance between them in one go but was denied any form of contact.

"They sooner we get the two of you married, the sooner you can paw at each other," his mother said, using both her arms to separate them. Dean hotly glared at her, and she shamelessly ignored him.

"Why isn't Henry wearing any shoes?" Cas asked, frown on his face. Dean looked down to a grinning Henry, who was dressed in a matching tuxedo, from the red shirt right down to his cufflinks. His little toes were crunching grass between them as he excitedly bounced up and down in front of Cas.

"I had to compromise," Dean wearily told Cas, who nodded in understanding, all the use to Sunday compromises.

"Come on, Henry," his mom lightly instructed. "It's about about to start."

"But, Nana," he whined."

"The sooner they get married, the sooner you hug Cas all you want," she airily told him. He pouted but took her hand and let her lead him away.

"Ready?" Dean asked, holding out a hand, feeling more relaxed and composed now that Cas was here.

"More than," Cas softly said and took his hand. They turned to face the aisle as one.

The two sides of their backyard were lined with Doric columns than were used to hold up a large white silk sheet that was used to block out the harsh July sun, painting everything in a warm golden color. At the top of the columns and under the silk sheet were garlands of white and red roses that hung down. Also attached to the top and to the garland was a white linen cloth that wrapped around each column. Embroidered on each piece of cloth were black vines and roses in a similar pattern to their vests and wedding invitation.

 

The space between the two rows of columns was divided into two sections filled with black metals chair with the backs carved to match the design on the linen. The way leading to the altar was paved with a white silk sheet. And finally at the end of the aisle were three steps the led up to large garden archway that was covered from top to bottom in red and white roses with neatly trimmed vines.

It was breathtaking.

Cas squeezed his hand, and Dean knew he was thinking the same thing. Dean aligned his spine straighter and proudly led himself and Cas down the aisle, knowing that Cas and he were beginning a journey where they would experience many more breathtaking moments together. Side by side. Hand in Hand. So his minds didn't question anything the more steps he took. And his nerves reined themselves in as he took those final three steps.

They turned to face each other, both hands in each other's now, locked eyes, and breathed out as one. They were finally there.

"Dearly beloved," Michael's voice rang out, and Dean's world narrowed down to the man widely grinning at him. "We are gathered here today to bear witness to the joining of Dean Nathaniel Winchester and Castiel James Novak in matrimony. And while many of you would expect me to say a few words about marriage, I'm not because I know that these two know fully what they the getting in to. And I'm pretty sure they are already tuning me out."

Dean flushed profusely while Cas quickly ducked his head, causing a chorus of laughter to ring out. It wasn't their faults. They had patiently waited long enough.

"So, I will skipped to the vows," Michael seamlessly continued as if nothing happened. "Castiel?"

Cas cleared his throat, squeezed both of Dean's hands, and started in a steady voice. "You have always made it adamantly clear that you don't believe in god, and frankly I am not sure if I do either, but sometimes things happen that make me question that belief. Because sometimes I can't even explain why I applied to Kansas University? Why they were the first to respond out of the number of schools that I applied to? Why I said 'yes' straight away? But those things happened, and it lead to other remarkable things."

Cas's eyes were starting to gloss over a little. He continued, voice thicker this time. "It lead me to Henry, a kid I have always dreamed about having. It lead me to you, a man I could see myself with for the rest of my life. It lead me to finding out we share a common thread, a common women we both hold dear. It lead me to finding my first crush." Dean's breathing shaprly hitched. "It lead me to a life where I moved in with a stranger and his son, where I unknowingly built my life around them, where I met two people I love more than anything in this world, where I found a family of my own."

Cas took a deep breath. "So while I still have questions and doubts, I know with every fiber of my being that this is where I am meant to be. Where I was always meant to end up at. And I couldn't be happier."

Cas managed to keep his tears in, but he smiled wetly at Dean. Dean merely stood there, gazing into those eyes he had come to call home.

"Dean?" Michael promoted, breaking their gaze, and Dean awkwardly cleared his throat.

"Before I met you," Dean began, a little shakily and cleared his throat again. "Before I met you, I had given up any hope for finding someone I could share my life with. I had thought that all I was meant to have in life was my son and my family, and I was happy with that, or at least I thought I was happy. I didn't realize I wasn't until you came into my life. Actually, I didn't realize a lot of things. I didn't realize why my son would want a total stranger in our lives, why I let this total stranger into our lives, why he effortlessly fitted into our lives, why I couldn't stop myself from being drawn to him. I didn't realize I was falling-fell," Dean quickly corrected himself. "I didn't realize I fell in love with him."

Dean then gave Cas a wry smile. "I panicked," Dean gruffed. "And I kept panicking since because I had a terrible track record with the people I fall in love with. And I thought it was just my luck to fall in love with a guy, someone I could never have. It was further proof that I was meant to not have anyone, but then you saved Henry, and I found I could have someone--I could have you. So I made a promise to myself--and later you--that I would do better this time around."

Dean squeezed both of Cas's hand. "And I did do better, but it wasn't because I tired to be the perfect boyfriend. It was because I was myself with you. You let me be myself, showing me that there was anything wrong with me," Dean's voice cracked towards the end. "I wasn't toxic." Cas's hand tightened around his. "You helped me heal. You helped me realize that I was okay to want things. I didn't have to settle. I didn't have have to be just content. I could have real happiness and love. And I want to thank you for that. And I look forward to a life where to a life where I can share that happiness and love with you."

And unintentionally, Dean managed to make Cas shed a tear, but Dean didn't let it fall. Dean surged forward and brushed it away with his thumb. They two of them stood there, warm smiles on their faces, as Dean continued to caress Cas cheek with his thumb, drowning in his love for the man in front of him.

"And now for the rings," Michael announced, drawing them back in time for them to hear a childlike giggle and to see run Henry run back into the house with his mom trailing after him.

"Why didn't we notice he didn't have the rings?" Dean asked, baffled.

"Because you were too busy looking at Cas."

"Thank you, Charlie," Dean sarcastically said, glaring at the redhead. "Always so helpful." The backyard was the then filled with an ensemble of laughter.

"And I was too busy looking at his toes," Cas unhelpfully added, aiding their laughter. Dean turned to glare at him only to watch his sigh in defeat. Dean followed his line of sight just to choke on his laugh. Majestically coming down the aisle was their little prince. Head held high as the golden crown on  top of it glistened in warm sunlight and as his red cape gracefully flowed behind him. A red pillows was proudly held up--two white band shimmering.

"Their end is nigh," Dean heard Cas grumble just as Henry made it to the steps. Dean bent down to take his ring and kiss the forehead of their dignified prince. Dean reached out and took Cas left hand and held the ring to the tip of his ring finger. The ring was a white gold band with a emerald sphere in the center that had two black wings carved on either side of it.

"The wings," Dean emphasized, "are there to remind you then you're my angel. And the little gem--" Dean inclined his head toward it, "--is for whenever I'm not around, and you miss my eyes." He swiftly slid the rond onto Cas's fingerz steadfastly ignoring the _awwing_.

"We're hopeless," Cas emphatically said, confusing Dean, and took his ring from Henry, but not before bestowing a kiss onto his forehead. Cas continued to mimic what Dean did. At the tip of Dean's ring finger was a white gold band with Celtic runes carved into it and filled with with a dark-blue gem.

"You have an unhealthy obsession with Tolkien," Cas said with a fond smile. "Especially dwarfs. So I used that as inspiration for your ring. The runes are the ones Tolkien based the dwarf writing system on. And the ones on your serve the same purpose as the wings on mine do: they are a reminder. They are a reminder that you're my _Âzyungel_ , my love of all loves. And they are a dark-sapphire color because of how much you love my eyes."

"God, we are hopeless," Dean fervidly said, a hint of incredulity in his voice. Cas unabashedly beamed at him and slid the ring on.

"And by the power invested in me by the state of Kansas, I now pronounce you wed. You may kiss."

But they were already halfway there. And their lips met just before he finished, and the cheers erupted. And it was more that Dean could have ever wanted. They were finally married!

They reluctantly pulled apart after a while to grin at each other before facing the shining face of their family and friends.

"I now give you Mister and Mister Winchester!"

Dean's head snapped to the side to stare at Cas in utter disbelief. Cas simply winked at him as the cheers rose up again, deafening this time, but didn't drown out the excited squeal from below them. Next thing he knew, Henry was in Cas's arms, hugging the life out of him, as Cas joyously laughed. Then Dean was pulled into the embrace.

 

Why hadn't Dean seen it before? Cas was a Winchester. He was always meant to be a Winchester. They weren't meant to be the Winchester-Novak household. They were meant to be the Winchester household. Cas was meant to be here with him and Henry, holding onto each other as their family and friends looked one and reveled in their happiness. And Dean was meant to be here with him. They were both somehow meant to be in each other's live--be each other lives. They were meant to come together and end one life and be ready to start a new one--together.

This was their point of convergence.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To me, Castiel will always be a Winchester, so it's only befitting that he should change his last name. 
> 
> I want to thank you guys so much for liking the story and sticking with me for so long. It really means a lot to me, seeing as this is my first fan fiction.
> 
> I promised myself I won't cry, yet I'm tearing up, guys.
> 
> Really, thank you guys for everything.
> 
> I wish you all the luck in life :)


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